Longing for a sense of belonging—Somali immigrant adolescents’ experiences of their acculturation efforts in Sweden

Fatumo Osman,Abdikerim Mohamed,Georgina Warner,Anna Sarkadi

doi:10.1080/17482631.2020.1784532

Abstract

ABSTRACT Purpose: Research on Somali adolescent immigrants’ interactions with their new society and school context is pertinent to more deeply understand changes in their practices, values, and identity resulting from continued first-hand contact with the Swedish culture, known as acculturation, as this process has been shown to affect mental health. The aim of this study was to investigate Somali immigrant adolescents’ experiences of social inclusion and exclusion as well as their need for support in their efforts to acculturate into society and the school environment.Method: A qualitative explorative study was performed. Data were collected from six focus group discussions with 47 Somali immigrant adolescents living in Sweden. The data were analysed using thematic network analysis.Results: A global theme emerged from the analysis: longing for a sense of belonging. Two underpinning organising themes described the participants’ longing for a sense of belonging to society and school: experience of social exclusion andpathways of inclusion and acculturation. Each organising theme consisted of three or four basic themes.Conclusion: This study highlights several key considerations on how schools can help adolescents who have recently immigrated to Sweden achieve a sense of belonging.

Highlights

Acculturation refers to changes in individual’s prac tices, values, and identity resulting from continued first-hand contact with another culture (Ward, 2001)
The aim of this study was to investigate Somali immigrant adolescents’ experiences of social inclu sion and exclusion as well as their need for support in their efforts to acculturate into society and the school environment
The first organizing theme described the participants’ experiences and challenges acculturating into the new country. Their acculturation efforts were hin dered by their new school system, social exclusion, and a lack of support in coping with the transition

Summary

Introduction

Acculturation refers to changes in individual’s prac tices, values, and identity resulting from continued first-hand contact with another culture (Ward, 2001). It is not as simple as detaching from the home culture and adopting the cultural patterns of the new coun try, but is a complex multidimensional process that can affect the social functioning and psychological well-being of the individual (Gupta et al, 2013; Nguyen & Benet-Martinez, 2013; Yoon et al, 2013). More recent evaluation of acculturation allows acculturating individuals to express themselves in their own words (Ward, 2013). Immigrant adolescents undergo acculturation changes alongside possibly simulta neous developmental, biological, and social changes that affect their acculturation experiences

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion