Turkish Migrants Research Articles

Barriers versus promotion: Culturally sensitive healthcare for elderly Turkish migrants in Austria and Germany

What is the perception of Turkish migrants in elderly care? The increasing number of elder migrants within the German and Austrian population is causing the challenge of including them in an adequate (culturally sensitive) way into the German/Austrian health care system. Here I introduce the perception of elder Turkish migrants within the predominant paradigm of intercultural opening of health care in Germany as well as within the concept of diversity management of health care in Vienna (Austria). The qualitative investigation follows a field research in different German and Austrian cities within the last four years and an analysis based on the Grounded Theory Methodology. The meaning of intercultural opening on the one hand, and diversity management on the other hand with respect to elderly care will be evaluated. Whereas the intercultural opening directly demands a reduction of barriers to access institutional elderly care the concept of diversity is hardly successful in the inclusion of migrants into elderly care assistance – concerning both, migrants as care-givers and migrants as care-receivers. Despite the similarities between the health care systems of Germany and Austria there are decisive differences in the perception and inclusion of migrants in elderly care that is largely based on an 'individual care' concept of the responsible institutions. Finally, this investigation demonstrates how elderly care in Germany and Austria prepares to encounter the demand of 'individual care' in a diverse society.

The influence of acculturation on mental health and specialized mental healthcare for non-western migrants.

The level of acculturation of migrants varies and is associated with variations in mental health. However, this association is complex and may differ among migrant groups. The aim of this study is to explore the association between acculturation, mental health and treatment effect. In a longitudinal cohort study of patients treated in specialized mental health facilities, different dimensions of acculturation (skills, social integration, traditions, norms/values and feelings of loss) were explored for Moroccan, Turkish and Surinamese migrants in the Netherlands. Furthermore, the associations between acculturation status and symptom levels, quality of life, care needs and effects of mental health treatment were examined. Data were analyzed with analysis of covariance, correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis. Acculturation status differed among migrant groups. Turkish migrants showed most original culture maintenance (traditions, norms/values), Surinamese migrants showed most participation in Dutch society (skills, social integration), while Moroccan migrants were situated in between. Higher cultural adaptation was associated with less need for care, lower symptom levels and a higher quality of life. Participation significantly predicted lower symptom levels (p < .001) and higher quality of life (p < .001) 6 months after the start of treatment. This study confirms that acculturation status is associated with symptom levels, quality of life and perceived need for care of migrants. Moreover, participation in Dutch society appears to be a favorable factor for treatment effect. It is of importance for professionals in clinical practice to be attentive to this.

Using the MMSE as a cognitive screener among Turkish and Moroccan migrants

The Dutch population of first generation Turkish and Moroccan migrants is ageing. Among them hypertension and diabetes mellitus are frequent findings, which will probably cause an increased incidence of dementia. The language barrier, low education and cultural differences make the diagnosis more difficult. To what extent the MMSE can be used as a cognitive screener in this population will be investigated in this retrospective study.Patients received standard diagnostics, a professional translator addressed the language barrier. Correspondence was scored on characteristics of dementia, a procedure was used to diagnose without including the MMSE score. The optimal cut-off was calculated with the Youden Index and Area under the ROC (AUROC).106 patients were included, 61% had no education. Average MMSE-score was 16, with dementia 12, without 19. The AUROC was 0.85, optimal cut-off was 18 with a Youden index of 0.61.By using a professional translator the MMSE can possibly be used as a cognitive screener in this population. However, the cognitive skills addressed by the MMSE require an education and language skills. Developing a test that is independent of education and language barrier will probably be better.

Analysis of physical activity and acculturation among Turkish migrants in Germany and England (.).

Recent literature shows that migrant populations in Western countries are generally less physically active than their host populations. The purpose of the present study was to expand research investigating associations between physical activity (PA) and acculturation and their relationship with several socio-demographic factors among Turkish migrants in Germany and England. The sample consisted of 521 Turkish migrants. Migrant generation, length of residence, and language proficiency were used as indicators of acculturation. Acculturation was not associated with PA among migrants in Germany and England. PA of migrants was significantly associated with migrant's host country, age, sex, marital status, and education. The total PA of migrants in Germany was higher than that of migrants in England; the large majority of females in both Germany and England had low PA, whereas most males had moderate PA. Seemingly, PA in Turkish migrant populations will not necessarily increase as a result of greater acculturation to the host society.

The many faces of Turkish Odessa

The article discusses regional territoriality by looking at the heterogeneous community of Turkish male migrants and the multiple alliances they establish in post-Soviet Odessa, Ukraine. In its public image, the city plays down ideas of urban continuities with the Ottoman past, but new relations between Turkish newcomers and various Turkic-speaking groups in the area both create different and overlapping “ecumenical communities” and actualize long-forgotten connections or marginal historical visions. These migrants also generate important links to the area through marriage and intimate relations with Slav women. I argue that alliances between Turkish migrants and Turkic-speaking minorities and local women not only allow them to make the city their own, but also create a distance from wider Odessan society.

Three-generation Marriage Patterns: New Insights from the ‘Dissimilation’ Perspective

Arranged marriages are common in countries like Turkey, but almost non-existent in the Western European destination contexts of Turkish migrants. For a better understanding of marital change in migration, this paper maps the prevalence of arranged marriages versus couple-initiated marriages among Turkish migrant families in Europe and stayer families in Turkey. The paper applies the ‘dissimilation perspective’ with a focus on change across marriage cohorts and between family generations. The database used for this study is the 2000 Families study (conducted from 2010 to 2012), which includes three-generational data of migrant and stayer families from five regions of origin in Turkey. Findings suggest a high similarity between migrants and stayers in terms of a strong decline of the arranged marriage mode over time, from well over 80% to about a third of all marriages. At the same time, the percentage of arranged marriages is lower among migrants. The three-generational data suggest multiple patterns of intergenerational change between grandparents, parents and children, both from couple-initiated to arranged marriages and vice versa. Overall, intergenerational transmission is stronger in stayer and weaker in migrant families. This contributes, together with lower starting levels among migrants, to the lower shares of arranged marriages among migrant children.

Sonographic assessment of spleen size in Turkish migrants with Familial Mediterranean fever in Germany.

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) can be associated with splenomegaly. Prospective quantitative data are lacking. We performed a sonographic assessment of spleen size in patients with FMF and healthy control participants to assess its diagnostic value. Patients with FMF according to the criteria of Livneh et al (Arthritis Rheum 1997; 40:1879-1885) who were in an asymptomatic interval and control participants were prospectively included in this study in Germany and underwent sonographic measurement of the spleen as well as a structured interview and a physical examination. Patients and controls were Turkish migrants. Thirty-six patients and 27 controls were included. Patients and controls did not differ significantly in age (mean ± SD, 34.8 ± 9.7 versus 33.3 ± 10.0 years, respectively; P = .56), sex, height, weight, or body mass index (26.7 ± 4.7 versus 26.1 ± 4.3 kg/m(2); P = .63). Spleen size was greater in patients than controls in width (4.3 ± 1.0 versus 3.7 ± 0.7 cm; P = .008) and also length (12.1 ± 1.9 versus 10.5 ± 1.4 cm; P = .001). Twenty-six of 36 patients (72.2%) had a history of appendectomy compared to 3 of 27 controls (11.1%; P < .001). The combination of an enlarged spleen (length >11 cm and/or width >4 cm) gave specificity of 100% (95% confidence interval, 87%-100%) and a positive predictive value of 100% (95% confidence interval, 78%-100%) for the diagnosis of FMF in our study. Spleen size as evaluated by sonography is larger in patients with FMF compared to healthy controls. Most patients with FMF included in this study had undergone appendectomy. Familial Mediterranean fever should be considered as a differential diagnosis in Turkish migrants in Germany if the spleen is enlarged and a history of appendectomy is reported.

A comparison of under 5 childhood mortality among Turks living in Turkey and Turkish migrants in Germany

Introduction Childhood mortality is considered to be a sensitive international indicator for population health, and health system performance, as it is largely avoidable. Migrant populations should be able to benefit from host country health system performance in the same way as the majority population. The indicator of childhood mortality can show whether this works or not. To address this question, we explored differences in childhood mortality in two population groups: migrants from Turkey, resident …

Integration policies and mortality differences among Turkish and Moroccan migrants in three European countries: a test-of-concept study

Background European countries have adopted different types of integration policies to integrate migrants into their societies. As these macro-level policies shape the social determinants of health, different integration policies could pattern migrant health differently. However, this association has not been studied so far. This study examines mortality differences of migrants from the same country of origin living in countries with distinct integration policies contexts. Methods From the mortality dataset collected in the …

A cross-sectional study on informed choice in the mammography screening programme in Germany (InEMa): a study protocol.

IntroductionBreast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women. In Germany, women are invited to a population-based mammography screening programme for the first time at the age of 50. Since it is still discussed whether the benefits of mammography screening outweigh its harms, the concept of informed choice has gained importance. The objective of this cross-sectional study is to assess the proportion of informed choices in the mammography screening programme. A special focus is on the examination of the impact of Turkish migration background and educational level on informed choices.Methods and analysisThe proportion of informed choices is evaluated in a cross-sectional study with 3-month follow-up for behavioural implementation of the screening intention. A randomly selected sample of 17 000 women aged 50 years living in Westphalia-Lippe, a region in the Federal State of North-Rhine Westphalia, is invited to participate in this study. To reach adequate numbers of Turkish women, all possibly Turkish women in the sample are identified through a name algorithm and contacted. The sample is drawn from women registered in the study area for which the registration offices consented to supply data for the study (88% of all towns/cities in the study region). Women identified through the Turkish name algorithm received all materials in German and Turkish. The primary outcome is informed choice. Data are collected on informed choice components (knowledge, attitude, decision/implementation) as well as on its possible determinants (eg, health behaviour, perceived behavioural control, subjective norms, invitation status, migration background and other demographic variables). Data are collected before the screening appointment and at 3 months follow-up.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the ethical committee of the Medical Faculty of Muenster University. Results will be published in a relevant scientific journal and communicated to respondents and relevant institutions.

Determining Turkish migration to Austria: the role of migration policy

Migration from Turkey to Austria started as “guest worker” labour migration. Soon, however, there were signs of permanent immigration from Turkey to Austria leading to a permanent migration in which the differences between labour and family migration began to blur. How can we explain Turkish migration and its shifting dynamics to Austria from a historical perspective? Which factors have played a role in shaping this migration? Turkish migration to Austria offers an interesting case for a discussion of migration policy outcomes since Austria has been a good example of a country with restrictive policies in European comparison. Austrian government policies were of major importance for determining the migratory process from Turkey. However, these were continuously challenged by interventions of the Austrian Constitutional Court, European Court of Human Rights and European Court of Justice. Besides, factors at the individual and meso level, such as family and community networks, and issues connected to economic and political developments in Turkey, shaped migration policy outcomes. After discussing in more detail the various factors that have been identified as influencing migration processes in previous studies, I will examine the interaction of these factors in shaping Turkish migration to Austria, and the role of limiting government policies.

Repressive autonomy: discourses on and surveillance of marriage migration from Turkey to Austria

Transnational marriages and family reunification have recently been assessed as one of the main obstacles to integration in Austria. They have been increasingly problematized and kept under surveillance when partners from third countries, in Austria particularly from Turkey, have been involved. Nonetheless, a great number of Turkish migrants and their descendants prefer to marry partners from their ‘country of origin’. In this paper I discuss practices of and discourses on family formation across borders based on an ethnographic fieldwork in a small town in Austria. Findings show that transnational marriages in Austria are often conflated with forced and fictitious marriages and consequently rejected as defraud or ‘violence in the name of tradition’. Furthermore, legal provisions against problematic marriages do not liberate women but repress their autonomy.

Editorial: Turkish migrants and their descendants in Austria Patterns of exclusion and individual and political responses

Turkish immigrants and their descendants have become the main target of anti-immigrant political mobilization in Austria since the 1990s. They have come to epitomize the image of the Oriental enemy and the Muslim other. Based on these discursive constructions, Muslims in general, and Turks in particular, have often been described as unwilling to integrate into Austrian society. The articles in this special issue show not only that these discourses and exclusionary attitudes may result in discriminatory practices towards Turkish immigrants and their descendants in Austria, but also that the alleged unwillingness to integrate may be explained by the lack of effort made by the Austrian government and Austrian institutions to integrate this group.

The relationship between acculturation strategies and depressive and anxiety disorders in Turkish migrants in the Netherlands.

BackgroundTurkish migrants in the Netherlands have a high prevalence of depressive and/or anxiety disorders. Acculturation has been shown to be related to higher levels of psychological distress, although it is not clear whether this also holds for depressive and anxiety disorders in Turkish migrants. This study aims to clarify the relationship between acculturation strategies (integration, assimilation, separation and marginalization) and the prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders as well as utilisation of GP care among Turkish migrants.MethodsExisting data from an epidemiological study conducted among Dutch, Turkish and Moroccan inhabitants of Amsterdam were re-examined. Four scales of acculturation strategies were created in combination with the bi-dimensional approach of acculturation by factor analysis. The Lowlands Acculturation Scale and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview were used to assess acculturation and mood and anxiety disorders. Socio-demographic variables, depressive, anxiety and co-morbidity of both disorders and the use of health care services were associated with the four acculturation strategies by means of Chi-Squared and Likelihood tests. Three two-step logistic regression analyses were performed to control for possible, confounding variables.ResultsThe sample consisted of 210 Turkish migrants. Significant associations were found between the acculturation strategies and age (p < .01), education (p < .01), daily occupation (p < .01) and having a long-term relationship (p = .03). A significant association was found between acculturation strategies and depressive disorders (p = .049): integration was associated with a lower risk of depression, separation with a higher risk. Using the axis separately, participation in Dutch society showed a significant relationship with a decreased risk of depressive, anxiety and co-morbidity of both disorders (OR = .15; 95% CI: .024 - .98). Non-participation showed no significant association. No association was found between the acculturation strategies and uptake of GP care.ConclusionsTurkish migrants who integrate may have a lower risk of developing a depressive disorder. Participation in Dutch culture is associated with a decreased risk of depressive, anxiety and co-morbidity of both disorders. Further research should focus on the assessment of acculturation in the detection of depression.

Electoral participation and intergenerational transmission among Turkish migrants in Western Europe

This study investigates whether immigration affects the extent to which children of migrants are likelier to vote if their parents vote (and vice versa). It combines intergenerational transmission theories with migrant political participation theories. Existing studies of migration and intergenerational transmission mainly focus on (Latino) immigrants in the United States and have not assessed migration’s true impact through comparison with non-migrants from the origin society. This study analyses unique data on Turkey-Europe migration, which include migrant and non-migrant child-parent dyads, applying logistic regression analysis. The results show a clear ‘intrahousehold similarity in electoral participation’ among migrant dyads in European national elections, which is weaker (but present) among the non-migrant dyads in Turkey. Though migration thus seems to strengthen transmission, the effect is only present if the child grew up in Europe, suggesting that children also stimulate their parents’ political engagement. Additionally, results show that the electoral participation of parents in the Turkish elections is not associated with the electoral participation of the adult children in the European national elections. Taken together, the analyses indicate that the underlying mechanism of transmission is not just one of (two-way) political socialization; ‘household mobilization’ also plays an important role.

Beyond binary identity politics? Ethnic, cultural and gendered othering in Feo Aladağ’s Die Fremde

This paper examines how Feo Aladağ’s Die Fremde (2010) simultaneously perpetuates and undermines stereotypes of Turkish-German gender constructs and in doing so engages in a form of othering that, drawing on a long-established discourse in Turkish-German cinema, conflates the Other in terms of gender with the Other in terms of ethnicity and culture. Lauded for eschewing well-worn clichés of traditional Turkish-Muslim patriarchy, Die Fremde represents diasporic identity construction and with it clashes of culture among first- and second-generation Turkish migrants in Germany. Does Aladağ manage to escape the binary economies implied by tropes such as the oppressed Turkish woman, the German saviour and the Turkish oppressor; and do the filmic devices she uses subvert a ghettoization of those values that deviate from the Leitkultur of the majority culture? With the stigmatization of Muslim men emerging as the flipside of female oppression, Die Fremde, I will argue, goes beyond re-creating earlier stereotypes and instead shines a critical light on how such othering is an integral part of German national post-war narrative.

Do second-generation Turkish migrants in Germany assimilate into the middle class?

The understanding of career paths of migrants is crucial for gaining deeper insights into assimilation processes. However, previous studies in Germany have paid little attention to middle-class assimilation and the career sequences of the second generation of migrants. This paper focuses on early employment career patterns of the children of guest workers, both men and women and especially those of Turkish origin, in comparison to native Germans. Using the German Socioeconomic Panel data set, I apply sequence analysis and regression analysis techniques to describe and assess differences in their success of middle-class assimilation in early employment careers. The findings are robust for two unique definitions of holding a middle-class position, and suggest that large differences exist between native-born Germans and second-generation Turks, and especially between second-generation Turkish women and native German women. The results for second-generation Turkish men indicate that their differences can be explained entirely by education. In the case of second-generation Turkish women, the causes for their disadvantage are more complex and include their lower education, language skills, and host-country-specific social capital as well as group-specific penalties for marriage and childbirth.

Dual Identification and the (De‐)Politicization of Migrants: Longitudinal and Comparative Evidence

AbstractThe article examines the role of dual identification with both the ethnocultural ingroup and the society of residence in the politicization of migrants. The researchers employed a longitudinal and comparative research design with members of the two largest, but sociologically very different, migrant groups in Germany as research participants (i.e. Turkish migrants and Russian migrants). In line with prior work that has shown that, among members of aggrieved groups, dual identity functions as a politicized collective identity, we found that dual identification fostered political engagement among Turkish migrants. In contrast, Russian migrants reported no substantial grievances, and dual identification negatively affected their subsequent political engagement. The contributions of these findings to an articulation of research on politicization with research on intergroup conflict and a more comprehensive understanding of political phenomena driven by dual identification are discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Infertility Care in the Netherlands for Turkish and Moroccan Migrants: The Role of Religion in Focus

Infertility treatments are difficult to understand, and doubly so for migrants because of religious and language factors. Previous studies showed that religion plays an important role in infertility care for Muslim couples that doctors do not always understand. The data presented here come from two exploratory studies that aimed to identify the main problems with infertility care for Turkish and Moroccan couples living in the Netherlands. In the first study, 105 Turkish, Moroccan and Dutch men and women were interviewed. In the second study, twenty general practitioners, gynaecologists and andrologists were interviewed by telephone. Additionally, three gynaecologists were interviewed in Morocco. A thematic analysis was conducted of the qualitative data. Almost all migrants had experienced problems with infertility treatments because they felt insecure about what was allowed by their religion. Moroccan men in particular doubt whether Dutch doctors are sufficiently acquainted with Islam and so they turn to Morocco for information and advice. Men stick to the rules and their agency is to follow the dictates of their religion. Women seem willing to be more flexible about the rules and navigate their agency. Doctors assumed that they took the religion of their patients into account, but they were not always fully aware of the importance of religious prohibitions. Others failed to take into account the agency of their patients. Conclusion: The situation in a new country challenges couples to shape their own agency in respect of reproductive treatment. Doctors are not always aware of the importance of religious doctrine about infertility treatment.

Early career occupational mobility of Turkish and Moroccan second-generation migrants in Flanders, Belgium

This article analyses the early career occupational mobility of people from a Turkish or Moroccan descent in Flanders (Belgium). Previous research showed that second-generation migrants are less successful than natives when entering the labour market. We compare the progress in socio-economic status (SES) that youngsters of native and non-native descent make from their first to later jobs at the start of their career. Both second-generation immigrants and native majority young adults experience upward occupational mobility during this crucial phase of their occupational career. The gap between native and ethnic minority youth, however, does not narrow over the course of the years. The first job offers less SES for non-natives compared to that of natives, and the minority-native gap in occupational attainment remains constant afterwards. The future career is largely determined by the characteristics of the start of the occupational career, and educational attainment even before. Promising, however, might be the finding that a first job with a relative low occupational status does offer better opportunities for Turkish and Moroccan second-generation migrants than for native majority youth to do some catching up later on. In combination with a long-term negative impact of initial unemployment, ethnic minority youth perhaps are best off with starting to work as soon as possible after school leaving.