Codebook for thematic analysis
| Illustrative quotes | Second-order themes (with description) | Aggregate dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| “I didn't even know what it meant to be an entrepreneur … Many of the things I did were just to survive” (Manal, Nutrition) | Gendered and Classed Entry Paths – Entrepreneurship initiated through survival, care responsibilities or blocked wage employment reflecting intersecting gendered and class constraints | Situated Positionalities: Gendered and Ethnicized Entry Points |
| “After many interviews I didn't receive any job … it was difficult for women 55 plus to get a job in Sweden” (Yusra, Medical Tech) | Age and Migration Barriers – Ageism and migration status combine to restrict access to mainstream labour markets, redirecting women towards self-employment | |
| “Because I started a family and had children, it took longer to finish my education” (Safya, Beauty Salon) | Care and Temporal Constraints – Gendered domestic responsibilities delay or limit venture creation | |
| “They told me there were programs for women entrepreneurs … but only after writing so many papers to prove I really needed it” (Safya, Beauty Salon) | Policy Blind Spots – Inclusion policies demand self-justification and bureaucratic literacy, shifting adaptation work to applicants | Navigating Ecosystem Blind Spots: Policy Promises and Everyday Disconnections |
| “Many times, it feels like they are studying us, not supporting us. They want stories about immigrant women but don't actually give contracts or money” (Manal, Nutrition) | Symbolic Inclusion/Tokenism – Diversity celebrated discursively but rarely backed by material support or contracts | |
| “Some people can just start talking and others, like us, have to first prove we can speak Swedish, then that we are smart, and only then that we are entrepreneurs” (Hissa, App Development) | Meritocratic Blindness – “Equal” systems mask racialized hierarchies of credibility; legitimacy must be constantly proven | |
| “I speak perfect Swedish, I dress Swedish, I act Swedish – but I'm also very direct and demanding. Some men don't like that” (Huda, Healthcare) | Affective and Aesthetic Labour – Continuous self-presentation, linguistic and emotional regulation to fit unspoken codes of “Swedish professionalism” | Performing Legitimacy: Managing Belonging and Difference |
| “Sometimes I have to be less immigrant and more professional – you know, speak perfect Swedish, dress Swedish, be calm” (Hissa, App Development) | Code-Switching/Cultural Performance – Strategic modulation of language and demeanour to secure legitimacy | |
| “Every time my physical appearance is in a room, that's when they lose. I'm winning because I'm there” (Eva, Marketing Agency) | Visibility as Resistance – Turning hyper-visibility into symbolic critique and assertion of presence | |
| “We immigrant women … create our own network, our own system” (Manal, Nutrition) | Micro-Ecosystem Building – Establishing peer and community networks to replace underperforming institutional supports | Coping and Re-positioning: From Adaptation to Collective Resistance |
| “Now when they invite me just to show diversity, I still go – but I speak the truth” (Manal, Nutrition) | Symbolic Resistance/Voice – Using token platforms to critique inequality from within | |
| “Freedom is success … My business serves my life, not the other way around” (Sasha, Photography) | Temporal Autonomy and Self-Determination – Redefining entrepreneurial success as control over time and energy rather than growth or profit | |
| “I think being strong is my culture … In Sweden, people think softness is polite. I think strength is respect” (Huda, Healthcare) | Reframing Strength and Professionalism – Recasting feminine strength as professionalism; rejecting narrow norms of likability |
| Illustrative quotes | Second-order themes (with description) | Aggregate dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| “I didn't even know what it meant to be an entrepreneur … Many of the things I did were just to survive” (Manal, Nutrition) | ||
| “After many interviews I didn't receive any job … it was difficult for women 55 plus to get a job in Sweden” (Yusra, Medical Tech) | ||
| “Because I started a family and had children, it took longer to finish my education” (Safya, Beauty Salon) | ||
| “They told me there were programs for women entrepreneurs … but only after writing so many papers to prove I really needed it” (Safya, Beauty Salon) | ||
| “Many times, it feels like they are studying us, not supporting us. They want stories about immigrant women but don't actually give contracts or money” (Manal, Nutrition) | ||
| “Some people can just start talking and others, like us, have to first prove we can speak Swedish, then that we are smart, and only then that we are entrepreneurs” (Hissa, App Development) | ||
| “I speak perfect Swedish, I dress Swedish, I act Swedish – but I'm also very direct and demanding. Some men don't like that” (Huda, Healthcare) | ||
| “Sometimes I have to be less immigrant and more professional – you know, speak perfect Swedish, dress Swedish, be calm” (Hissa, App Development) | ||
| “Every time my physical appearance is in a room, that's when they lose. I'm winning because I'm there” (Eva, Marketing Agency) | ||
| “We immigrant women … create our own network, our own system” (Manal, Nutrition) | ||
| “Now when they invite me just to show diversity, I still go – but I speak the truth” (Manal, Nutrition) | ||
| “Freedom is success … My business serves my life, not the other way around” (Sasha, Photography) | ||
| “I think being strong is my culture … In Sweden, people think softness is polite. I think strength is respect” (Huda, Healthcare) |
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