former refugees; proculturation; migration politics; cultural differences; social identity; bi-cultural identity
Abstract :
[en] Research on the rising number of refugees migrating to Germany has seldom considered experiences of refugees who fled to Germany several years ago and went through the process of acculturation themselves. In the present study, we investigated acculturation processes of former refugees and their views on newly arrived refugees in Germany and discuss the lessons that can be learned by society and the political system from their lived experiences.
Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted and analyzed by using qualitative content analysis. The sample consisted of five former refugees from the countries Iran, Iraq, and Togo. The results illustrate their acculturation processes in Germany and their attempt to integrate different, sometimes opposing cultures into their everyday lives. Ambivalent opinions on the new arrivals and the integration politics in Germany in 2015/16 (the so-called “refugee crisis”) become visible. On the one hand, empathy and solidarity towards newly arriving refugees are mentioned; on the other hand, worries are expressed and demands are made of them. On the political level, the welcoming attitude is appreciated, but clear regulations are desired. The results strongly suggest that former refugees should be included, and their personal experiences of immigration should be more thoroughly considered in decision making within integration politics.
Disciplines :
Social & behavioral sciences, psychology: Multidisciplinary, general & others
Author, co-author :
Kämmer, Jana J. L.
Albert, Isabelle ; University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE) > Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences (DBCS)
External co-authors :
no
Language :
English
Title :
Former refugees’ acculturation processes and their views on newly arrived refugees in Germany
Aumüller, J., & Bretl, C. (2008). Die kommunale Integration von Flüchtlingen in Deutschland. In Lokale Gesellschaften und Flüchtlinge: Förderung von sozialer Integration. Berliner Institut für Vergleichende Sozialforschung.
BAMF. (2019). Aktuelle Zahlen zu Asyl. Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge.
BAMF. (2020). Das Bundesamt in Zahlen 2019. (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge, Eds.) Retrieved April 8, 2020, from https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/DE/Statistik/BundesamtinZahlen/bundesamt-in-zahlen-2019-asyl.html?nn=284738
BAMF. (2021). Migrationsbericht 2020 - Kapitel 1: Überblick über das Migrationsgeschehen in Deutschland. (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge, Eds.) Retrieved March 12, 2022, from https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/DE/Forschung/Migrationsberichte/MB-2020/migrationsbericht-2020-kap1.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=5
BAMF. (2022). Das Bundesamt in Zahlen 2021. (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge, Eds.) Retrieved March 12, 2022, from https://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/DE/Statistik/BundesamtinZahlen/bundesamt-in-zahlen-2021-asyl.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=6
Barros, S., & Albert, I. (2020a). “I feel more Luxembourgish, but Portuguese too”. Cultural identities in a multicultural society. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 54, 72–103. 10.1007/s12124-019-09500-8 DOI: 10.1007/s12124-019-09500-8
Barros, S., & Albert, I. (2020b). Living in-between or within? Cultural identity profiles of second-generation young adults with immigrant background. Identity, 20(4), 290–305. 10.1080/15283488.2020.1832491 DOI: 10.1080/15283488.2020.1832491
Benet-Martinez, V., & Haritatos, J. (2005). Bicultural identity integration (BII): Components and psychosocial antecedents. Journal of Personality, 73(4), 1016–1047. 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2005.00337.x DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2005.00337.x
Benet-Martinez, V., Leu, J., Lee, F., & Morris, M. (2005). Negotiating biculturalism. Cultural frame switching in biculturals with oppositional versus compatible cultural identities. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 5(492), 516. 10.1177/0022022102033005005 DOI: 10.1177/0022022102033005005
Bengtsson, M. (2016). How to plan and perform a qualitative study using content analysis. NursingPlus Open, 2, 8–14. 10.1016/j.npls.2016.01.001 DOI: 10.1016/j.npls.2016.01.001
Bernal, M. (2003). Good practices in mental health and social provision for refugees and asylum seekers. Report on Spain. In C. Watters & D. Ingleby (Eds.), Final report on good practices in mental health and social care provision for asylum seekers and refugees. Bruxelles: European Commission (European Refugee Fund).
Berry, J. (1991). Understanding and managing multiculturalism: Some possible implications of research in Canada. Psychology and Developing Societies, 3(1), 17–49. 10.1177/097133369100300103 DOI: 10.1177/097133369100300103
Berry, J. (1997). Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation. Applied Psychology, 46(1), 5–34. 10.1111/j.1464-0597.1997.tb01087.x DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-0597.1997.tb01087.x
Berry, J. (2005). Acculturation: Living successfully in two cultures. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 29, 697–712. 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2005.07.013 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2005.07.013
Bhugra, D. (2004). Miration and mental health. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 109, 243–258. 10.1046/j.0001-690X.2003.00246.x DOI: 10.1046/j.0001-690X.2003.00246.x
Bourhis, R. Y., Moise, L. C., Perreault, S., & Senecal, S. (1997). Towards an interactive acculturation model: A social psychological approach. International Journal of Psychology, 32(6), 369–386. 10.1080/002075997400629 DOI: 10.1080/002075997400629
Bundesregierung, D. (2015, August 31). bundesregierung.de. Retrieved September 4, 2019, from https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/aktuelles/fluechtlingskrise-bleibt-groesste-herausforderung-467764
Bundesregierung, D. (2017, January). Bundesregierung.de. Retrieved July 27, 2017, from https://www.bundesregierung.de/Webs/Breg/DE/Themen/Fluechtlings-Asylpolitik/4-FAQ/_node.html?id=GlossarEntry1659112
Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. (2019). Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. Retrieved September 4, 2019, from http://www.bpb.de/gesellschaft/migration/flucht/265708/asylantraege-und-asylsuchende
Burholt, V., Dobbs, C., & Victor, C. (2016). Transnational relationships and cultural identity of older migrants. GeroPsych, 29(2), 57–69. 10.1024/1662-9647/a000143 DOI: 10.1024/1662-9647/a000143
Crocker, J., & Major, B. (1989). Social stigma and self-esteem: The self-protective properties of stigma. Psychological Review, 96(4), 608–630. 10.1037/0033-295X.96.4.608 DOI: 10.1037/0033-295X.96.4.608
Donà, G., & Berry, J. (2007). Acculturation attitudes and acculturative stress of central American refugees. International Journal of Psychology, 29(1), 57–70. 10.1080/00207599408246532 DOI: 10.1080/00207599408246532
Esser, H. (2006). Migration, sprache und integration. Berlin: Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung gGmbH FSP Zivilgesellschaft, Konflikte und Demokratie Arbeitsstelle Interkulturelle Konflikte und gesellschaftliche Integration. https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-113493
Esses, V., Hamilton, L., & Gaucher, D. (2017). The global refugee crisis: Empirical evidence and policy implications for improving public attitudes and facilitating refugee resettlement. Social Issues and Policy Review, 11(1), 78–123. 10.1111/sipr.12028 DOI: 10.1111/sipr.12028
Gäbel, U., Ruf, M., Schauer, M., Odenwald, M., & Neuner, F. (2006). Prävalenz der posttraumtischen Belastungsstörung (PTSD) und Möglichkeiten der Ermittlung in der Asylverfahrenspraxis. Zeitschrift Für Klinische Psychologie Und Psychotherapie, 35(1), 12–20. 10.1026/1616-3443.35.1.12 DOI: 10.1026/1616-3443.35.1.12
Gamsakhurdia, V. (2018). Adaptation in a dialogical perspective - from acculturation to proculturation. Culture & Psychology, 24(4), 545–559. 10.1177/1354067X18791977 DOI: 10.1177/1354067X18791977
Gamsakhurdia, V. (2022). Theory of proculturation: Development of the self through intercultural communication. Springer International Publishing AG. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-06301-5
Gerhards, J., Hans, S., & Schupp, J. (2016). German public opinion on admitting refugees. DIW Economic Bulletin, 6(21), 243–249. http://hdl.handle.net/10419/141292
Graneheim, U. H., & Lundman, B. (2004). Qualitative content analysis in nursing research: Concepts, procedures and measures to achieve trustworthiness. Nurse Education Today, 24(2), 105–112. 10.1016/j.nedt.2003.10.001 DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2003.10.001
Graneheim, U. H., Lindgren, B.-M., & Lundman, B. (2017). Methodological challenges in qualitative content analysis: A discussion paper. Nurse Education Today, 56, 29–34. 10.1016/j.nedt.2017.06.002 DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2017.06.002
Greussing, E., & Boomgaarden, H. (2017). Shifting the refugee narrative? An automated frame analysis of Europe’s 2015 refugee crisis. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 43(11), 1749–1774. 10.1080/1369183X.2017.1282813 DOI: 10.1080/1369183X.2017.1282813
Holmes, S., & Castañeda, H. (2016). Representing the ‘European refugee crisis’ in Germany and beyond: Deservingness and difference, life and death. American Ethnologist, 43(1), 12–24. 10.1111/amet.12259 DOI: 10.1111/amet.12259
Ipsos, M. O. R. I. (2016). Gobal views on immigration and the refugee crisis. Ipsos MORI.
Kämmer, J. (2017). Ehemalige Geflüchtete und ihre Sichtweise auf die Flüchtlingskrise in Deutschland [Unpublished undergraduate thesis]. University of Luxembourg.
Kuckartz, D. (2014). Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. Methoden, Praxis, Computerunterstützung (2nd ed.) Weinheim, Base: Beltz Juventa.
Lehman, D. R., Chiu, C. Y., & Schaller, M. (2004). Psychology and culture. Annual Review of Psychology, 55, 689–714. 10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.141927 DOI: 10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.141927
Lersner, U. (2008). Flüchtlinge in Deutschland: Eine psychologische Analyse der Freiqilligen Rückkehr. http://www.ub.uni-konstanz.de/kops/volltexte/2008/6565/
Li, S. S., Liddell, B. J., & Nickerson, A. (2016). The relationship between post-migration stress and psychological disorders in refugees and asylum seekers. Current Psychiatry Reports, 18, 82. 10.1007/s11920-016-0723-0 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-016-0723-0
Luna, D., Ringberg, T., & Peracchio, L. (2008). One individual, Two identities: Frame switching among biculturals. Journal of Consumer Research, 35(2), 279–293. 10.1086/586914 DOI: 10.1086/586914
Machleidt, W. (2005). Migration, integration und psychische Gesundheit. Psychiatrische Praxis, 32, 55–57. 10.1055/s-2004-834690 DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-834690
Mahendran, K. (2013). A two-way process of accommodation: Public perceptions of integration along the migration-mobility continuum. In U. Korkut, G. Bucken-Knapp, A. McGarry, J. Hinnfors, & H. Drake (Eds), The discourses and politics of migration in Europe (pp. 109–131). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 10.1057/9781137310903_7 DOI: 10.1057/9781137310903_7
Mayring, P. (2010). Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse: Grundlagen und Techniken (11th ed.). Beltz.
Michalowski, I., &; Snel, E. (2005). Kann man Integration messen? Stadtweinhaus.
Murdock, E. (2017). Identity and its construal: Learning from Luxembourg. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 51(2), 261–278. 10.1007/s12124-017-9385-7 DOI: 10.1007/s12124-017-9385-7
Nauck, B. (2008). Akkulturation: Theoretische Ansätze und Perspetive in Psychologie und Soziologie. Migration und Integration. Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie. Sonderheft, 48, 108–133.
Oerter, R. (2020). Der Aufbau kultureller Identität im Spannungsfeld von Enkulturation und Akkulturation. In T. Ringeisen, P. Genkova, & F. Leong (Eds.), Handbuch Stress und Kultur (pp. 67–80). Wiesbaden: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-27825-0_5-1
Purpose. (2017). Germany and France segmentation research study. In H. Dempster, & H. K., Understanding public attitudes towards refugees and migrants. London: Overseas Development Institute & Chatham House.
Redfield, R., Linton, R., & Herskovits, M. J. (1936). Memorandum for the study of acculturation. American anthropologist, 38(1), 149–152. https://www.jstor.org/stable/662563 DOI: 10.1525/aa.1936.38.1.02a00330
Schreier, M. (2014). Varianten qualitativer Inhaltsanalyse: Ein Wegweiser im Dickicht der Begrifflichkeiten. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 15(1), Art. 18. https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-15.1.2043
Stangor, C. (2015). Social groups in action and interaction (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315677163
Stephan, W., Renfro, C., Esses, V., Stephan, C., & Martin, T. (2005). The effects of feeling threatened on attitudes toward immigrants. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 29(1), 1–19. 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2005.04.011 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2005.04.011
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33–47). Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.
UNHCR. (2019a). unrefugees.org. Retrieved September 4, 2019a, from https://www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/statistics/
UNHCR. (2019b). unrefugees.org. Retrieved September 4, 2019b, from https://www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/what-is-a-refugee/
UNHCR Emergency Handbook. (2019). emergency.unhcr.org. Retrieved September 4, 2019, from https://emergency.unhcr.org/entry/44937/migrant-definition
UNHCR. (2022a). unhcr.org. Retrieved March 12, 2022a, from https://www.unhcr.org/dach/de/
UNHCR. (2022b). unhcr.org. Retrieved March 12, 2022b, from https://www.unhcr.org/germany.html
Ward, C., & Rana-Debuba, A. (1999). Acculturation and adaptation revised. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 30(4), 422–442. 10.1177/0022022199030004003 DOI: 10.1177/0022022199030004003
Wiesendahl, E. (2016). Der Kulturkonflikt um die Flüchtlingskrise und die politischen Folgen. ZSE Zeitschrift für Staats- und Europawissenschaften / Journal for Comparative Government and European Policy, 14(1), 53–79. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26165492
Wike, R., Stokes, B., &; Simmons, K. (2016, July). Europeans fear wave of refugees will mean more terrorism, fewer jobs. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2016/07/11/europeans-fear-wave-of-refugees-will-mean-more-terrorism-fewer-jobs/
