Browsing by Subject "acculturation"

The study examined immigrants' attitudes towards acculturation, in other words the social and cultural changes that take place in the adaptation process. The perspective of acculturation studies was also expanded by examining immigrants' cultural values and their experiences of majority's expectations. In addition, special interest was directed to the relations between acculturation attitudes and values and both factors' relevance on psychological well-being. Indian born immigrants were selected as subjects as they are one of the fastest growing ethnic minorities in Finland. This minority has not been included in immigration studies previously. The seventy-five immigrants that participated as subjects represent a highly educated subgroup of Indian born immigrants. The study was carried out with posted questionnaires. Most of the subjects received an inquiry of their motivation to participate by e-mail or phone before the postal questionnaire. The results were in line with previous studies in Finland as the attitudes emphasising cultural integration were dominant. However, attitudes towards marriage, reflecting deeper and less flexible parts of culture, were dominated by separation motives. Immigrants' perceptions of majority's expectations reflected partly the real assimilation wishes demonstrated in previous studies. Against hypotheses, discrepancies between acculturation attitudes and experiences of majority's expectations did not predict immigrants' psychological well-being in a clear way. The highly educated Indian born immigrants emphasised self-direction and universalism in their values. This separates them from the traditional cultural values of India. The hypotheses made of the predictive relations between values and acculturation attitudes were partly confirmed. Also, the assumptions concerning both the stress buffering role of collectivistic values and the positive effect of achievement values on feelings of mastery were confirmed. Despite the limitations in the data, this study strengthens the view that cultural and personal values play a significant role in immigrants' adaptation process. Information about values can benefit individuals making hard decisions and coping with cultural change as well as officials modifying Finnish immigration policy and planning the support system for immigrants.

The aim of the study was to analyze international students' typical paths to acculturate into the student community by using the research question: What kind of paths international students use to acculturate into the student community in Oklahoma State University and in the University of Helsinki? The study is current, because of the continuing increase of students' mobility and importance of students' acculturation into a new culture and student community in order to feel comfortable in a new university. Earlier studies have proven that students' sociocultural adjustment will foster psychological adjustment in a new environment. The research data was collected by interviewing international students from the University of Helsinki and Oklahoma State University. The interviewees were 13 students from Europe, Asia, Africa and South- America. The data has been analyzed by using qualitative content analysis. Based on the analysis, the results have been divided into nine categories: prior arrival, orientation, housing, social gatherings, behavior patterns, class, language, social support and failed tries to adapt. Students focused on using assimilation and integration as acculturation strategies, based on Berry's four-fold model of acculturation. Students, who were planning to stay in the host country after graduation, tried to acculturate by learning for example Finnish language skills. They were also motivated to meet both international and local people. With time, students have started to create more friendships with local students alongside with other international students. Successful paths to acculturate had little different emphasis between these two universities. Biggest difference is on the path of social gatherings; students from Oklahoma State University met many new students through sports, and students from the University of Helsinki felt that parties were one of easiest places to meet new people.

The framework of the study was the support of the agency of immigrants as a part of the acculturation and integration process. The theories on agency in the background of the study have handled agency as a possibility to influence the course of events and as a part of the exercise of power, as an individual resource and as a way the individual continuously moulds the surrounding structures within their limitations and without being their passive victim. In previous research the visibility and exercise of agency was conceived as planned and meaningful work, self-conscious will to learn the language and the development of the individual with the support of the group. The function of the study is to examine what kind of meaning the adult education centre’s work can give to the agency of the immigrant and how agency can be seen to be supported in the work they do. The material of the study was three pieces of interviews of the experts in education of the immigrants at the adult education centres. The interviews were collected as thematic interviews while the research strategy was qualitative. Content-based content analysis was the research framework and the material was analysed through content analysis. The results of the study were the meaning of motivation in independent studies as part of exercising agency, developing of knowledge, skills and comprehension as part of expanding the limits of agency. The learning of the adult education centre’s students was best supported by student-based teaching methods, diverse course offering and the guidance and tranquil atmosphere provided by teachers. Learning can be seen to support the strengthening of agency with the immigrant students. The received results could be used in planning and evaluating the integration training of immigrants.

Tavoitteet. Suomi on monikulttuuristunut viime vuosikymmeninä yhä enenevässä määrin maahanmuuton myötä. Tämä näkyy myös varhaiskasvatuksessa kulttuurisen ja katsomuksellisen moninaisuuden lisääntymisenä. Varhaiskasvatuksessa on osattava huomioida erilaisista kulttuurisista ja katsomuksellisista taustoista tulevat lapset. Tässä tutkimuksessa selvitettiin, miten varhaiskasvatuksen opettajat huomioivat vähemmistökatsomuksiin kuuluvia lapsia kristillisten juhlien yhteydessä sekä millaisia käsityksiä opettajilla on kristillisistä juhlista ja miten käsitykset vaikuttavat siihen millaisen toiminnan he näkevät varhaiskasvatukseen sopivana. Teoriaosiossa avataan sosialisaation ja akkulturaation käsitteitä ja niiden merkitystä osana varhaiskasvatusta. Sosialisaatio- ja akkulturaatioprosessin ymmärtäminen on tärkeää varhaiskasvatuksen opettajille, jotta opettajat osaavat tukea kulttuurisiin ja katsomuksellisiin vähemmistöihin kuuluvien lasten hyvinvointia ja edistää heidän sopeutumistaan suomalaiseen kulttuuriin. Menetelmät. Tutkimus on kvalitatiivinen tapaustutkimus. Tutkimukseen osallistui kolme varhaiskasvatuksen opettajaa, kaksi Helsingistä ja yksi Espoosta. Tutkimusaineisto kerättiin haastattelemalla opettajia teemahaastattelulla. Kun haastattelut oli tehty, ne litteroitiin ja analysoitiin sisällönanalyysilla. Tulokset ja johtopäätökset. Vähemmistökatsomuksiin kuuluvien lasten huomioimisessa nostettiin kaikissa haastatteluissa esiin yhteistyön tärkeys perheiden kanssa, toiminnan mukauttaminen lapsille sopivaksi ja lapsen kohtaamisen tärkeys. Opettajien toimintatavat näyttivät olevan pääosin lasten hyvinvointia ja kulttuurista sopeutumista edistäviä. Opettajien käsitykset kristillisistä juhlista ja varhaiskasvatukseen sopivasta toiminnasta olivat sen sijaan vaihtelevia. Yhden opettajan mielestä kaikki tunnustuksellisuus tulisi poistaa juhlista ja toisen mielestä mitään tunnustuksellisia elementtejä ei tulisi poistaa. Haastatteluista ilmeni se, että opettajien henkilökohtainen suhtautuminen kristillisyyteen ja katsomuksiin vaikutti siihen, millainen toiminta koettiin sopivaksi.