Browsing by Author "Mustelin, Adriana"

This study explores perceptions of discrimination and the participants' understandings of their experiences, giving voice to their concerns and the emotions elicited by those concerns. Discrimination and its pervasive nature and negative consequences are well researched. Several studies support the view that discrimination has a negative effect in many different areas affecting the access to opportunities and the well-being of targets. This research is based on 12 participants, who have emigrated to Finland from Argentina, Chile, Perú and Venezuela. These women have been living in Finland for a period ranging from 2 to 35 years. The data for this study were collected from four focus groups during the summer of 2019. The data were analysed qualitatively using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis because of its suitability to inquire into the experiences of the participants. This methodology is not often used to explore perceptions of discrimination, although it can give interesting insights into the complexity of the phenomenon. The analysis was structured in two themes: The complexity of perceived discrimination and I have adapted by I do not belong. The results show the complexity of the topic. The participants’ narratives were rich in attributions and emotions and reflected the way in which the participants engaged in hot cognition and ambivalent meaning-making. This, in turn, reflected a multi-layered process of identity construction where two opposing identities were negotiated and renegotiated in the discussion.