Integrating Immigrants in Today's Globalised Society

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Immigration – Political Aspects and Social-psychological Theories

2.1 Pluralism Ideology

2.2 Civic Ideology

2.3 Assimilation Ideology

2.4 Ethnist Ideology

2.5 Ingroups and Outgroups

2.6 Social Identity Theory

2.7 Attitudes, Stereotypes, Prejudices & Discrimination

3. Acculturation Models

3.1 Ecology, Enculturation & Socialization

3.2 Acculturation

3.3 Models of Acculturation

3.4 Berry’s Acculturation Model

3.4.1 Assimilation

3.4.2 Integration

3.4.3 Segregation or Separation

3.4.4 Marginalisation

3.5 Studies and Scales

3.6 Bourhis’ Interactive Acculturation Model

4. The Portuguese in Germany

4.1 General Features of Portuguese Emigration

4.2 Brief History of the Portuguese Presence in Germany

4.3 Present Situation of the Portuguese Migrants in Germany

4.3.1 Geographical Distribution

4.3.2 Age and Gender of the Migrants

4.3.3 Duration of the Stay in Germany

4.3.4 Employment

4.3.5 Unemployment

4.3.6 School, Professional Education and University

4.3.7 Marriages, Naturalizations and Births

4.4 Final Observations

5. Methodology

5.1 Design of the Study

5.2 Instruments

5.2.1 Acculturation Attitudes

5.2.1.1 English Version

5.2.1.2 German Version

5.2.1.3 Portuguese Version

5.2.2 Acculturation Experiences

5.3 Sample and Collection of the Data

6. Presentation of the Results

6.1 Age and Gender of the Groups

6.2 Analysis of Items and Scales

6.3 Inter-correlation of the Scales

6.4 Groups and Acculturation Strategies

6.5 Single-items

6.6 Acculturation Strategies and Contact between the groups

6.7 Acculturation Strategies and Experiences between the groups

6.8 Other factors – Language and Education

7. Discussion of the Results

7.1 The Original Scales

7.2 Interscale Relationships

7.3 Predictors of Acculturation Attitudes

7.4 Portuguese and Germans – Conflict or Consensus?

8. Conclusions

9. References

Research Objectives and Themes

The primary research objective is to examine how Portuguese immigrants and the German host community perceive their co-existence, specifically applying the Interactive Acculturation Model to evaluate acculturation strategies and the impact of inter-group contact.

• Social-psychological theories of in- and outgroups and social identity.
• Acculturation strategies of first and second-generation Portuguese immigrants.
• The influence of daily contact and experiences on acculturation outcomes.
• The relationship between linguistic knowledge, educational levels, and integration.
• Evaluation of the "consensual" vs. "conflictual" nature of the immigrant-host community relationship.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

1. Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of migration movements, specifically the Portuguese diaspora, and sets the stage for investigating how these immigrants and the German host community co-exist.

2. Immigration – Political Aspects and Social-psychological Theories: This chapter examines governmental immigration policies and social theories, such as Social Identity Theory and the concepts of ingroups and outgroups, which influence immigrant-host relations.

3. Acculturation Models: This chapter reviews various theoretical frameworks for understanding acculturation, with a particular focus on Berry’s model and the refined Interactive Acculturation Model developed by Bourhis.

4. The Portuguese in Germany: This chapter details the history of Portuguese emigration to Germany, starting from the 1964 agreements, and provides a statistical analysis of their current situation, including demographic and employment data.

5. Methodology: This chapter outlines the design of the comparative study, which utilizes questionnaires to survey Portuguese immigrants and German host community members regarding their acculturation attitudes and experiences.

6. Presentation of the Results: This chapter presents the empirical findings regarding age, gender, acculturation strategies, and the impact of inter-group contact and experiences on these strategies.

7. Discussion of the Results: This chapter interprets the collected data, comparing it with established models and exploring whether the relationship between the two groups is characterized by consensus or conflict.

8. Conclusions: This chapter summarizes the main findings, offers final reflections on the theoretical models, and suggests recommendations for future research in this field.

Keywords

Acculturation, Migration, Portuguese immigrants, Germany, Integration, Assimilation, Segregation, Social Identity Theory, Interactive Acculturation Model, Inter-group contact, Cultural maintenance, Minority groups, Social-psychological theories, Stereotypes, Ethnic identity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary focus of this work?

The research investigates the social and psychological dynamics of the relationship between Portuguese immigrants and the German host community, focusing on how these groups perceive each other and adapt to living together.

What are the central themes discussed in the book?

Central themes include acculturation strategies, inter-group contact, the influence of political and social ideologies on immigration, and the empirical measurement of integration, assimilation, and segregation preferences.

What is the core research question?

The core questions are how first and second-generation Portuguese immigrants in Germany perceive their relationship with the host community, and conversely, how the German host community perceives its relationship with these immigrants.

Which scientific methodology does the author apply?

The author uses a comparative, quantitative research approach, employing specialized questionnaires developed from Berry’s and Bourhis’ models to analyze attitudes and experiences across three participant groups.

What does the main body of the work cover?

The main body covers historical migration backgrounds, theoretical models of acculturation, an empirical presentation of statistical results from the surveys, and a detailed discussion linking these results to social identity theories.

Which keywords best characterize this study?

The most defining keywords are Acculturation, Portuguese immigrants, Integration, Assimilation, Social Identity Theory, and Inter-group contact.

How does the second generation of immigrants differ from the first generation?

Second-generation immigrants typically show higher levels of German language proficiency and education, resulting in higher levels of contact with the host community and a greater tendency towards integration compared to their parents.

What conclusion does the author reach regarding the "Ethnist" ideology of Germany?

While Germany has been cited in literature as an example of "Ethnist" ideology, the author's results suggest a shift towards a more pluralistic view, at least regarding the Portuguese community.