Rumours in Botkyrka – a study of common rumours which harm an intercultural Botkyrka

The spreading of rumours is a central feature of the mechanisms which exclude and stigmatise marginalized groups in the society. The Multicultural Centre has been commissioned by the Municipality of Botkyrka, Sweden, and the Council of Europe to make a study of common rumours which are circulating in the munic-ipality and which impede the development towards an intercultural Botkyrka. This study is a step in the anti-rumour work which Botkyrka wishes to develop, following the work against rumours carried out in recent years in Barcelona, Spain. Research into rumours has shown that these cannot be understood outside the social, cultural and economic context within which they circulate. Vanja Möller, the project manager for Botkyrkas anti-rumour campaign, is very pleased with the study: “This study has laid the foundation for our anti-rumour work and inspired our anti-rumour network Botkyrka Fördomsfritt where the civil society, locally based researchers and the municipality work together to identify, nuance and counteract rumours that lead to xenophobia and racism. During the spring 2014 The Multicultural Centre will make a follow-up study to identify the arguments, reasoning and facts that can be used in the work to eliminate these rumours”.