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Social Networks and Immigrant Integration: Experimental Evidence from Sweden

Last registered on May 28, 2021
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Social Networks and Immigrant Integration: Experimental Evidence from Sweden
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0006714
Initial registration date
May 28, 2021

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
May 28, 2021, 12:49 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Akib Khan
Affiliation
Uppsala University
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Mounir Karadja
PI Affiliation
Uppsala University
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Olle Hammar
PI Affiliation
Uppsala University
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Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2021-03-11
End date
2026-12-31
Keywords
Gender, Labor, Welfare
Additional Keywords
Immigration, Integration, Social Network
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Abstract
Immigrants’ limited social networks are often seen as a key reason for the group’s relatively weak labor market outcomes. We propose one of the first field experiments to study how contact with natives affects immigrants’ social and economic integration. We have partnered with the largest NGO of its kind in Sweden, which annually matches several thousand native Swedes and immigrants to promote new social connections and facilitate integration. We will study how such connections influence immigrants’ social relations, attachment to Sweden, and economic outcomes in terms of employment and housing.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Hammar, Olle, Mounir Karadja and Akib Khan. 2021. "Social Networks and Immigrant Integration: Experimental Evidence from Sweden." AEA RCT Registry. May 28. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.6714-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention involves facilitating social interactions between natives and immigrants. Both groups register online with the implementer NGO which then creates pairs of immigrants one of which is randomly selected to be matched with a native for a meeting.
Intervention Start Date
2021-03-17
Intervention End Date
2023-03-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Survey: Language skills index; Social, navigational, and psychological outcome index; Labor market outcome index; Housing market outcome index; Assimilation index.
Register Data: Employment (annual, monthly); Total labor income (annual); Wage income (monthly); Housing market outcome.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Many more immigrants than natives typically register with the implementer NGO, meaning that not all immigrants can be matched to a native contact. Therefore, the study is designed such that, for each native that signs up, the NGO will select two potential immigrants as matches. An automated system will then randomly assign one of the immigrants to meet with the native Swede, while the other is placed in the control group.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done by a computer program.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
2,000 immigrants
Sample size: planned number of observations
2,000 immigrants
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
1,000 immigrants
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Swedish Ethical Review Authority
IRB Approval Date
2020-10-22
IRB Approval Number
2020-04824
Analysis Plan

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