Migration and meaningless - A qualitative analyses among Kosovo migrants in Germany and Switzerland

Arben Hysenaj; Samir Lleshi

doi:10.31893/multiscience.2024201

Keywords:

Abstract

Migration often brings about significant changes in people's lives, leading to feelings of foreignness and confusion in both the host country and the home country. This loss of familiarity and displacement can create a sense of aimlessness, causing individuals to question their identity and meaning in life. Nevertheless, some migrants demonstrate resilience and adaptability, embracing different cultures and environments as they navigate their migratory journeys. For these individuals, migration becomes an integral part of their identity and shapes their personal growth. Understanding the complexities of migration and its effects on individuals' search for meaning is crucial for addressing the challenges and opportunities that arise in diverse societies. This investigation employed a qualitative approach, specifically grounded theory, to delve into the impact of migration on individuals' perception of the meaning of life. The study examined a total of 31 participants, consisting of 13 females and 18 males. The age range of the participants varied from 20 to over 60 years old. Outcomes indicates that migration causes the shift in self-identity as they navigate new cultural, social, and economic contexts. Additionally, migration can reshape family identity, as family members may face challenges in maintaining their traditions, beliefs, and relationships while assimilating into a new environment. The interplay between individual and family identities during migration greatly influences the future results for migrants and their families. Understanding the dynamics of self-identity, family identity, and future results in the context of migration is crucial for developing inclusive policies, support systems, and interventions that promote successful integration and positive outcomes for migrants and their families.
References
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to cite

Hysenaj, A., & Lleshi, S. (2024). Migration and meaningless - A qualitative analyses among Kosovo migrants in Germany and Switzerland. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, 6(10), 2024201. https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2024201

[1] Berrocal, E. (2020). Viewing Latina Immigrant Mothers in Asturias, Spain, Through an Existential Psychology Lens. European Review Of Applied Sociology, 13(20), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1515/eras-2020-0001

[2] Britten, N. (1995). Qualitative research: qualitative interviews in medical research. Bmj, 311(6999), 251-253. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.311.6999.251

[3] Chan, K. J., Young, M. Y., & Sharif, N. (2016). Well-being after trauma: A review of posttraumatic growth among refugees. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 57(4), 291–299. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000065

[4] Charmaz, K. (2000). Constructivist and objectivist grounded theory. Handbook of qualitative research, 2, 509-535. Retrieved from: https://qualquant.org/wp-content/uploads/text/Charmaz%202000.pdf. 13.07.2023

[5] Charmaz, K., & Henwood, K. (2017). Grounded theory methods for qualitative psychology. The SAGE handbook of qualitative research in psychology, 2, 238e256. http://digital.casalini.it/9781526422866

[6] Christou, A. (2006). Narratives of place, culture and identity: second-generation Greek-Americans return'home' (p. 264). Amsterdam University Press. http://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/35180

[7] Conway, D., Potter, R., Bernard, G. (2008). Dual Citizenship or dual identity? Does “transnationalism” supplant “nationalism” among returning Trinidadians? Global Networks, 8(4), 373-397. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0374.2008.00230.x

[8] Diehl, C., Fischer-Neumann, M., & Muhlau, P. (2016). Between ethnic options and ethnic boundaries – Recent Polish and Turkish migrants. Ethnicities, 16(2), 236-260. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468796815616156

[9] Eastmond, M. (2007). Stories as Lived Experience: Narratives in Forced Migration Research. Journal of Refugee Studies, 20(2), 248-264. https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fem007

[10] Facchini, G., Patacchini, E., and Steinhardt, M. (2014). Migration, Friendship Ties, and Cultural Assimilation. The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 117(2), 619-649. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjoe.12096

[11] Henrickson, M., Brown, D., Fouché, C., Poindexter, C., and Scott, K. (2013). ‘Just talking about it opens your heart’: Meaning-making among black African migrants and refugees living with HIV. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 15(8), 910-923., doi: 10.1080/13691058.2013.790076

[12] Hernandez, Claudia., Garcia-Morena, and Cristina. (2014). Migration. Resilience, and Social Work: Latin Americans in Tarragona. The British Journal of Social Work, 44(1), 88-104. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcu045

[13] Jia-Yan, P. (2015). Predictors of post-migration growth for Chinese international students in Australia. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 47, 69-77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2015.03.030

[14] Kelly, Ph. (2011). Migration, Agrarian, Transition, and Rural Change in Southeast Asia. Critical Asian Studies, 43(4), 479-506. https://doi.org/10.1080/14672715.2011.623516

[15] Kinnvall, C. (2004). Globalization and Religious Nationalism: Self, Identity, and the Search for Ontological Security. Political Psychology, 25(5), 741-767. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9221.2004.00396.x

[16] Kosovo Agency of Statistics. (2021). Evaluation of the Kosovo Population 2020. https://ask.rks-gov.net/media/6202/vler%C3%ABsimi-i-popullsis%C3%AB-2020.pdf

[17] Ladegaard, H. (2018). Reconceptualizing “home”, “family” and “self”: Identity Struggles in domestic migrant worker returnee narratives. Language and Intercultural Communication, 19(3), 289-303. https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2018.1509984

[18] Madison, G. (2006). ‘Existential Migration’. Existential Analysis, 17.2: 238-60

[19] Marschall, S. (2017). Migrants on Home Visite: Memory, Identity and Shifting Sense of Self. International Journal of Tourism Research, 19(2), 214-222. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2103

[20] Matos, L., Indart, M., Park, C., and Leal, I.P. (2018). Meaning-making and psychological adjustment following refugee trauma. In: Actas do 12o Congresso Nacional de Psicologiada Saúde. ISPA-Instituto Universitario, pp. 513–521. http://repositorio. ispa.pt/bitstream/10400.12/6211/1/12CongNacSaude513.pdf.

[21] Peisker, V. and Walker, I. (2003). Human capital, acculturation and social identity: Bosnian Refugees in Australia. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 13(5), 337-360. https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.743

[22] Rochelle, F., Tej, M., Srishity, Dh., Bhuwan, G., Narad, A. and Theresa, B. (2020). “We are all under the same roof”: Coping and meaning-making among older Bhutanese with a refugee life experience. Social Science & Medicine, 264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113311

[23] Singelton, R., Straits, B. (2006). The Sage Handbook of Interview Research. The Complex of the Craft. Part II. Second edition. Sage. Los Angelos.

[24] Johnson, J., Rowlands, T, (2006). The Sage Handbook of Interview Research. The Complex of the Craft. Part II. Second edition. Sage. Los Angelos.

[25] Spierings, N. (2015). Gender Equality Attitudes among Turks in Western Europe and Turkey: The Interrelated Impact of Migration and Parents' Attitudes. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 41(5), 749-771. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2014.948394

[26] Tongco, M. D. C. (2007). Purposive sampling as a tool for informant selection. Ethnobotany Research and applications, 5, 147-158. https://ethnobotanyjournal.org/index.php/era/article/view/126

[27] Vacca, R., Solano, G., Lubbers, M., Molina, J. and McCarty, Ch. (2018). A personal network approach to the study of immigrant structural assimilation and transnationalism. Social Network, 53, 72-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2016.08.007

[28] Wagner., C. (2016). "Migration and the Creation of Hybrid Identity: Chances and Challenges," Proceedings of Harvard Square Symposium, The Phenomenon of Migration, August 22-23, 2016 16, Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies. Rerived from: https://rais.education/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/16.pdf. 01.01.2024

[29] Yoo, Ch. (2021). Acculturation strategies of multi-cultural family adolescents in South Korea: Marginalization, separation, assimilation and integration. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 81, 9-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2020.12.011

[30] Zenelaga, B., Goga, A. (2021). Reconstructing Self-Identity: The Image of Albanian as “The Other”. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 11(2), 140. https://doi.org/10.36941/jesr-2021-0037

Abstract

References

How to cite