Background: The conclusions that emerged from my prior C-level essay formed my opinion that segregation has a negative effect on the learning of the Swedish language. Segregation creates an atmosphere where the identity development of immigrant pupils can be damaged with the result of low self-esteem, which influences the education in a negative way. The future of immigrant pupils doesn't look very promising if you assume that self-esteem and a positive view of oneself are crucial factors for a good mental and physical health. In this essay I wanted to analyze how teenagers with similar experiences are motivated in their choice of future and investigate if social background has any affect on motivation and choice of future. Purpose: The investigation has two purposes; To look at how Swedish pupils and immigrant pupils, from one practical and one theoretical course at a Swedish gymnasium (year 3), choose their future in relation to their social and ethnical background, where social background can be looked upon as an indicator of integration/segregation in Swedish society focused on immigrant pupils. The second purpose is to investigate how they perceive their own position in relation to the future and how they are motivated to choose a certain future. Method: I have used a combination of three methods: a combination of quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interviews) methods with research as a complement. The research is hermeneutic. Result: The survey results indicate that the majority of the pupils in the practical course at gymnasium are immigrants and that the majority of the pupils in the theoretical course are Swedish. The standard of living is higher in the group with Swedish pupils in the theoretical course. The majority of them lives in "Villa, semidetached house or own their own apartment" while the vast majority of pupils in the practical course live in "rented apartment". The majority of "All students" in the practical course claims that their neighborhood influence their results in school in a negative way, but only a small percentage of "all the pupils" in the theoretical school feels that their neighborhood has any influence on their school results. The employment rate of the parents is 25% higher in the group in the theoretical school. "All students" in the practical school is to a higher extent forced to choose a certain future. Just a small percentage of the immigrant pupils in both of the schools want to continue their studies straight after gymnasium. The motivation behind the choice varies despite the fact that many of t...
