In a European comparison the Scandinavian countries are described as women friendly. Men as care workers as well as immigrants (both female and male) mean new dilemmas. The intersection of gender and ethnicity emerges as a key dimension of the multicultural challenge posed by migration. For minority groups, their citizenship often involves negotiating a puzzle of changing gender and family cultures as they move between minority and majority communities. Swedish elderly care, which is predominantly publicly organised, is an arena of practice which strives to implement such political objectives as gender equality and cultural diversity. Meetings between dependent care givers and recipients lead to dilemmas on several different levels. For instance, the needs of recipients of elderly care are often expected to be homogenous and fit within the standard norms of the organisation. Is it therefore appropriate for staff to refuse to visit violent and atypical persons in their homes? Or alternatively, is it appropriate for the elderly recipients to refuse to be cared for by someone whose appearance will conflict with the old people’s beliefs? When examining how policy is implemented in practice, structural elements, individual power and relative influence often become more apparent. In these interactions of different actors on different levels, un-intended processes may occur. How are rights maintained, and dilemmas resolved? In the case studies, a variety of dilemmas will be explored and discussed.