Cultural integration: positive and negative perceptions (case of Tornio, Finland)

Shlapeko, Ekaterina A; Stepanova, Svetlana V

doi:0016-7282 (print)

Download

Title: Cultural integration: positive and negative perceptions (case of Tornio, Finland)

Abstract:

Increase in the migration flows has become a challenge in the world today. In Finland there is considerable shift in the number of migrants from Africa and the Middle East countries. The paper is based on the sociological research conducted in August-September, 2016 in Tornio (Finland). The empirical observations were gained from the interviews with 12 migrants and the questionnaires on the city Tornio attractiveness (73 locals) and the human mobility challenges (89 locals). The obtained results highlight the significant role of the communication activities with the joint participation of locals and newcomers in understanding each others’ culture, decreasing negative perceptions and reactions in the integration process.

References:

1. Albarracín J., 2016. The culture of incorporation: Language use, identity, and social connectedness [in:] At the core and in the margins: Incorporation of Mexican Immigrants in Two Rural Midwestern Communities, East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, pp. 29-48.
2. Annual Report 2015. The Finnish Immigration Service, http://migri.fi/documents/5202425/6772175/2015%20Annual%20Report/d376b6c8-3551-4865-be6b-432b67bc4c6d [30 March 2018].
3. Asylum seeker traffic dries up at Lapland border crossings. YLE Uutiset, 28 June 2016, https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/asylum_seeker_traffic_dries_up_at_lapland_border_crossings/8987641 [30 March 2018].
4. Barkan E., 2006. Immigration, incorporation, assimilation, and the limits of transnationalism: Introduction. Journal of American Ethnic History, vol. 25, no 2-3, pp. 7-32.
5. Baturina L., 2016. Problems of migrants adapting to a new culture [in:] Language and thought: Psychological and linguistic aspects, Articles of XVI International Scientific Conference, pp. 70-75 [in Russian].
6. Berry J.W., 1997. Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation. Applied Psychology: An International Review, vol. 46, pp. 5-34. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.1997.tb01087.x
7. Boyko A., 2014. Deviation in the context of modern migration processes [in:] Materials of 8th All-Russian scientific and practical conference with international participation, December 5, 2014, Krasnodar [in Russian].
8. Bunikowski D. 2016. Finland's immigration crisis. Gatestone Institute, https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7559/finland-migrant-crisis [12 November 2017].
9. Coleman D., 2008. The demographic effects of international migration in Europe. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 452-476. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxrep/grn027
10. Decisions 1/2015-12/2016. Finnish Immigration Service. http://statistics.migri.fi/#decisions?start=540&end=551 [12 November 2017].
11. DeWind J., Kasinitz P., 1997. Everything old is new again? Processes and theories of immigrant incorporation. The International Migration Review, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 1096-1111. https://doi.org/10.2307/2547425 ; https://doi.org/10.1177/019791839703100412
12. Eðvarðsson I.R., Heikkilä E., Johansson M., Jóhannesson H., Rauhut D., Schmidt T.D., Stambøl L.S., Wilkman S., 2007. Demographic changes, labour migration and EU-enlargement – relevance for the Nordic regions. Nordic Research Programme 2005-2008, Report 2, Stockholm: Nordregio.
13. EMN, 2017. Key figures on immigration 2016. Helsinki: European Migration Network Finnish Immigration Service.
14. Glick J., 2010. Connecting complex processes: A decade of research on immigrant families. Journal of Marriage and Family, vol. 72, no. 3, pp. 498-515. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00715.x
15. Gubman B., 2016. Dialogue in view of post-classical philosophy. Culture of Culture, vol. 9, no. 1, pp.100‑107.
16. Hagan J.M., 1998. Social networks, gender, and immigrant incorporation: Resources and constraints, American Sociological Review, vol. 63, no. 3, pp. 55-67. https://doi.org/10.2307/2657477
17. Haparanda-Tornio, 2015. Haparanda Tornio: Borderless experiences all year round. Easy and fun to cross the border. https://issuu.com/haparandatornio/docs/haparandatornio_broschure_2017 [17 June 2018].
18. Heisler B., 1992. The future of immigrant incorporation: Which models? Which concepts? The International Migration Review, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 623-645. https://doi.org/10.2307/2547074 ; https://doi.org/10.1177/019791839202600222
19. Ibrahim F.A., Cass D., 2011. Counseling muslim Americans: Cultural and spiritual assessments. Journal of Counseling and Development, vol. 89, no. 4, pp. 387-397. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.2011.tb02835.x
20. Jaakkola M., 2009. Immigrants from a Finnish point of view. Attitudes changes over 1987-2007. Helsingin kaupungin tietokeskus (Helsinki, Finland: City of Helsinki Information Centre).
21. Joppke C., 2012. The role of the state in cultural integration: Trends, challenges, and ways ahead. Washington DC: Migration Policy Institute.
22. Karanov D., 2013. Migrants and the host community: The cultural aspect of interethnic relations in the urban environment. Politeia, vol. 68, no. 1, pp. 24-35 [in Russian].
23. Kim V., 2013. Social contradictions in the "mirror" of migration as a factor in the emergence of fanaticism. Annals of Tomsk State Pedagogical University, vol. 133, no. 5, pp. 122-128 [in Russian].
24. Konoplyova A., 2016. Understanding the process of the phenomenon of cultural shock in the context of modern migration processes. SocialHumanitarian Review, vol. 1, pp. 41-43 [in Russian].
25. LeMay M., 2000. Assessing assimilation: Cultural and political integration of immigrants and their descendants. In Defense of the Alien, vol. 23, pp. 163-176.
26. Logashenko Ju.A., 2015. Intercultural sensitivity of students in the multicultural environment. Saint-Petersburg [PhD Thesis], pp. 52-56 [in Russian].
27. Löf R., 2016. The world will change with the influx of asylum seekers. Bulletin of University of Eastern Finland, pp. 12-16.
28. Mayblin L., 2016. Complexity reduction and policy consensus: Asylum seekers, the right to work, and the 'pull factor' thesis in the UK context. The British Journal of Politics and International Relations, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 812-828.
29. Migration and the EU. Challenges, opportunities, the role of EIB, 2016. Report of the European Investment Bank. Luxembourg. March.
30. Migration integration statistics – at risk of poverty and social exclusion. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Migration_integration_statistics_-_at_risk_of_poverty_and_social_exclusion [12 November 2017].
31. Mikhailova E., Verpatova O., 2016. Discussion about the nature of social and cultural space in the works of Western theorists of the XX century: Rootedness and migration. Annals of the Tver State University. Series: Philosophy, no. 1, pp. 147-159 [in Russian].
32. Number of asylum applications in Finland from 2015 to 2016, by country of origin. Statista: The statistics portal, https://www.statista. com/statistics/530300/asylum-applications-bycountry-of-origin-finland/ [30 March 2018].
33. Number of (non-EU) asylum seekers in the EU and EFTA Member States, 2015 and 2016. Eurostat: Statistics explained, http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/File:Number_of_ (non-EU) _asylum_seekers_in_the_EU_and_EFTA_Member_States, _2015_and_2016_ (thousands_of_first_time_applicants)_YB17.png [30 March 2018].
34. Piedra L., Engstrom D., 2009. Segmented assimilation theory and the life model: An integrated approach to understanding immigrants and their children. Social Work, vol. 54, no. 3, pp. 270-277. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/54.3.270
35. Pine F., 2014. Migration as hope: Space, time, and imagining the future. Current Anthropology, Crisis, Value, and Hope: Rethinking the Economy, vol. 55, no. S9, pp. 95-104.
36. Population. Statistics Finland, http://www.stat.fi/tup/suoluk/suoluk_vaesto_en.html [30 March 2018].
37. Portes A., DeWind J., 2004. A cross-Atlantic dialogue: The progress of research and theory in the study of international migration. The International Migration Review, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 828-851. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-7379.2004.tb00221.x
38. Portes A., Rivas A., 2011. The adaptation of migrant children. The Future of Children, vol. 21, no.1, pp. 219-246. https://doi.org/10.1353/foc.2011.0004
39. PRC, 2016. Europeans fear wave of refugees will mean more terrorism, fewer jobs. Pew Research Center. Global Attitudes & Trends, 11 July, 2016, http://www.pewglobal.org/2016/07/11/europeans-fear-wave-of-refugees-will-meanmore-terrorism-fewer-jobs/ [29 March 2018].
40. Redfield R., Linton R. Herskovits M., 1936. Memorandum for the study of acculturation. American Anthropologist New Series, vol. 38, no.1, pp. 149-152.
41. Registration centre in Tornio up and running. Finnish Government, 22 September 2015, http://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/article/-/asset_publisher/1410869/tornion-jarjestelykeskuksentoiminta-kaynnistynyt [30 March 2018].
42. Ryabichenko T., Lebedeva N., 2014. Attitude to immigration and subjective well-being of the host population. Social Sciences and Modernity, no. 2, pp. 34-44 [in Russian].
43. Sarrazin T., 2010. Deutschland schafft sich ab. Wie wir unser Land aufs Spiel setzen. München: Audio Media Verlag.
44. Saukkonen P., 2013. Multiculturalism and cultural policy in Northern Europe. Högskolan i borås, nordisk kulturpolitisk tidskrift, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 178-200.
45. Scott W., 1989. Adaptation of immigrants: Individual differences and determinants. International Series in Experimental Social Psychology, Oxford, England; New York: Pergamon Press.
46. Shaikhislamov R., Varganova O., Sadretdinova E., Yulbarisova Y., 2013. Migration processes in the region: The problem of tolerance and dialogue between cultures. Annals of the East Academy on Economics and Law, vol. 64, no. 2, pp. 76-85 [in Russian].
47. Solodova G., Gomzova V., 2013. International migration – the host society and migrants of other nationalities. Siberian Philosophical Journal, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 62-67 [in Russian].
48. Stephen W.G., Stephen C.W., 1996. An integrated threat theory of prejudice. International Journal of Psyhology, vol. 31, pp. 1635-1635.
49. Suárez-Orozco M., 2000. Everything you ever wanted to know about assimilation but were afraid to ask. Daedalus, vol. 129, no. 4, pp. 1-30.
50. Tanner A. Overwhelmed by refugee flows, Scandinavia tempers its warm welcome. http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/overwhelmedrefugee-flows-scandinavia-tempers-its-warmwelcome [12 November 2017].
51. Tartakovsy E., Walsh S.D., 2016. Testing a new theoretical model for attitudes toward immigrants: The case of social workers' attitudes toward asylum seekers. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, vol. 47, no. 1, pp, 72-96.
52. Tibi B., 1998. Europa ohne Identität? Die Krise der multikulturellen Gesellschaft. München: Bertelsmann.
53. Toğuşlu E., Leman J., Sezgin İ. (eds.), 2014. New multicultural identities in Europe: Religion and ethnicity in secular societies. Leuven: Leuven University Press. https://doi.org/10.11116/NMIE_CII
54. Wang M., Kammeyer-Mueller J., Liu Y., Li Y., 2015. Context, socialization, and newcomer learning. Organizational Psychology Review, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 3-25. https://doi.org/10.1177/2041386614528832
55. Wekhian J., 2016. Acculturation process of ArabMuslim immigrants in the United States. Asian Culture and History, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 89-99. https://doi.org/10.5539/ach.v8n1p89
56. Wimmer A., Soehl T., 2014. Blocked acculturation: Cultural heterodoxy among Europe's immigrants. American Journal of Sociology, vol. 120, no. 1, pp. 146-186. https://doi.org/10.1086/677207