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Identity: Moving and Living Abroad
A qualitative interview study of Afghan female immigrants
who moved to Sweden during 2015-2016.
Author: Anita Mehmeti
930305-4200
International Migration and Ethnic Relations
Bachelor Thesis 15 credits
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Abstract
This thesis investigates Afghan female immigrants’ experiences of their adaptation process in Sweden. It also examines whether gender identity alters among these Afghan women. The study was conducted through a qualitative research approach based on six semi-structured interviews, with its data being analyzed by thematic analysis. The thematic analysis presented the result on the basis of four themes; identity, social relations, cultural differences and the migration process. Further, the results show that most respondents were affected by migration, that they were influenced by social relations and that they experienced cultural differences in Sweden compared to Afghanistan.
Key words
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Table of contents
1 Introduction ... 4
1.1 Aim & research questions ... 4
1.2 Thesis outline ... 5
1.3 Delimitations ... 6
2 Previous research ... 6
2.1 Migration and adaptation ... 6
2.2 Identity crisis ... 8
2.3 The impact of migration on women...10
3 Theoretical framework ...11
3.1 Gender ...11
3.2 Symbolic interactionism and socialization ...12
3.3 Me and I ...13
4 Method...14
4.1 The choice of method ...14
4.2 Sampling ...15
4.3 Procedure...15
4.4 Data analysis ...16
4.5 Reliability & Validity ...17
4.6 Ethical considerations ...18
5 Results & Analysis ...19
6 Discussion and Analysis ...31
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1 Introduction
Many people have migrated to Sweden over the years as well as today. The country has been characterized by an increased immigrant flow since 2015. Furthermore, Sweden has for years been one of the most attractive destinations for the Afghan population. The country received many refugees from Afghanistan in the recent years due to war, oppression, lack of
democracy and human rights. According to Statistics Sweden, 41564 Afghans seeked asylum in Sweden during 2015, and 7313 were women (Statistics Sweden, n.d.). The migration to Sweden has led to many advantages for women, since that the country offers, for instance regarding women’s rights, better opportunities for foreign women to develop their identity and social status. Many women experience themselves as inferior citizens in their home country and this means that they are better prepared of managing distress in form of discrimination that appears in a new country (Darvishpour & Westin 2015, pp.375- 374). Immigration to a wealthier country bring increased economic opportunities and strengthens the opportunities of achieving equality, and thus contribute to a transfer concerning valuations and ideas regarding, for example equality between men and women. Migration may influence individuals’ life to a great extent, since that they must build up their social network and career from the beginning. These social changes can change women's’ situation extremely.
Therefore, I think that it is appropriate to study women's’ experiences of migration as well as the experienced identity dynamic through the symbolic interactionist approach, which means that identity is constructed socially (Darvishpour & Westin, 2015, p.78).
5 The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of how Afghan female immigrants experience their adaption process as well as possible changes to their gender identity.
• Do immigrants experience difficulties in adapting themselves in Sweden? If yes, how so?
• How do Afghan women perceive differences in Swedish women’s gender roles? • How do new social relations in Sweden contribute to Afghan women’s experience of
dynamic change to gender identity?
1.2 Thesis outline
The essay gives a brief introduction where the subject is discussed. Subsequently, aim, research questions and delimitations are explained. This part also presents previous studies which aim to illustrate the problems regarding the subject. The second section discusses the theoretical starting points that have been directive in this study. The chosen method as well as the procedure are presented in the following chapter where reliability, validity and ethical considerations are described. The third section presents the empirical material connected with
6 the previous studies. Lastly, the results are discussed with the help of theoretical starting points and the conclusion is drawn on the basis of the purpose and research questions of this study.
1.3 Delimitations
The delimitation of this study is that it only focuses on female immigrants from Afghanistan, since the streams of refugees from this country have been reported in the recent year through media. The reason for this study’s sole focus on females is because Sweden offers better opportunities compared to other countries for women of foreign background to develop their identity and social status.
2 Previous research
This section will present the scientific articles relevant to my study. These articles deal with adaptation, migration, identity construction and identity crisis, as well as the impact of migration on women.
7 In his article” Mentality and Change in the Context of International Migration”, Corsmos (2014) has semi-structured interviews with men and women who emigrated from Romania. Corsmos examines individual changes and their effect on family and the origin community. The study shows the effect of migration, including the change of individuals’ mentality. Corsmos states that individuals’ mentality change when they move to another country and go through stages of integration and adaptation, resulting in an alteration of identity. Likewise, refugees undergo changes of mentality. Refugees are in some ways forced to interact with new people whose opinions, thoughts and lifestyles differ from their own. This in turn influences their way of acting in society. Immigrants’ mentality change in a new country is due to the new social environment, relations and culture. Mentality change brings about a new outlook of these individuals’ thoughts and attitudes about the world around them.
Kenneth Bledin (2003) demonstrates in his article “Migration, Identity and Group Analysis” that immigrants may experience a disturbance in their social, cultural and individual identity. Bledin considers the role of analytical group psychotherapy for immigrants to resolve identity crises and to develop a feeling of belonging in the new country. Thoughts that are introduced in this study are based on previous studies with groups that include voluntary immigrants from Great Britain. Bledin states that immigrants are affected by culture and language and how it is necessary to adapt to these in order to change their image of self and begin to fit into the culture of the new country.
Phinney, Horenczyk, Liebkind and Vedder’s (2001) review in their article “Ethnic Identity,
Immigration, and Well-Being: An Interactional Perspective” research and present theories
regarding immigration, ethnic identity and consequences of ethnic identity for immigrants’ adaptation. The article focuses on how issues of ethnic identity and identification in a new society interact, how these identities are related to the immigrants’ adaptation as well as their variation in different groups and national contexts. The article emphasizes the complexity of problems regarding migration, adaptation and ethnic identity. Factors such as attitudes
regarding identity, immigrants’ preferences, culture, the new country and the interaction between all of these also effect the complexity of the problem. Previous research of Phinney, Horenczyk, Liebkind and Vedder has shown that most immigrants prefer integration where they can keep their own culture of origin while adapting to that of the new. In regard
8 toidentity, this leads to having an integrated identity. Individuals experience that they are part of a bigger society when they belong to an ethnic group.
Gill Valentine, Deborah Sporton, Katrine Bang Nielsen’s (2009) article “Identities and
belonging: a study of Somali refugee and asylum seekers living in the UK and Denmark”
examines how identity, place and belonging interact with Somali youths’ understanding of identity in their country of origin compared to Denmark and England. The study’s result shows that a geographical place influences an individual's self-identity. Somali youths in England felt the existence of an established Muslim and Somali network while youths in Denmark did not. Instead they felt forced to assimilate into the Danish society. Danish youths did not have a feeling of belonging despite their efforts to create a Danish identity. Stéphanie Bauer, Colleen Loomis & Abdeljalil Akkari (2011) investigate youths with foreign
background in Switzerland. The result of this qualitative study indicates that young people’s networks are multicultural while the home and school environment tends to be more mono-cultural. This study also shows that youths experience an affinity for language and ethnic culture. Most of the youths in the study felt that they belonged to their parents’ country to a greater extent than they did to Switzerland. Simultaneously, some youths experienced an ambiguity since they were seen as Swiss in their parents’ countries but being foreign in Switzerland. One conclusion of the study is that cultural identity varies depending on environment and coherence (2011).
2.2 Identity crisis
Lewin (2001) describes the incompatible attitudes of men and women regarding integration in Swedish society in his article “Identity Crisis and Integration: The Divergent Attitudes of
Iranian Immigrant Men and Women towards integration into Swedish Society”. This study
discusses the identity crisis among women and men. Lewin states that women find it easier to adapt to Swedish society than men. Women therefore have more possibilities to overcome an identity crisis due to positive attitudes as well as applying themselves very hard at work and in social life. An individual depends on the culture that developed his or her identity. An identity crisis may occur when an individual fail to identify with social groups or social classes in the new society. Reconstruction of identity is needed when an individual ends up in a new society with different lifestyles, values and rules. An identity crisis is not entirely a
9 result of a person’s previous identity construction and values in the new society. An identity crisis may also develop from social interactions with the new society. This means that an individual’s way of interacting in the new society influences the extent of the identity crisis. Timotijevic and Breakwell’s (2000) article “Migration and Threat to Identity” deals with how immigrants meeting social, political or radical changes can experience these as threatening their identity. The authors discuss that migration is connected to disorders that are probably unwanted and, even if they are wanted, threaten their definition of identity. The study also investigates cognitive and emotional threats towards identity by individuals who immigrated to Great Britain from Yugoslavia. A threat to identity from moving countries stems not only from the obvious differences between two countries. It can also be the passive or aggressive contrast towards immigrants. However, this process of handling identity threats can also be a boost of self-confidence. How the respondents manage feelings of continuity depends on how they perceive their external identity, so continuity feelings may later develop by alterations and/or stability of identity. There is great individual variation in the extent of change that is required in order to become a threat to identity. The article shows how individuals experience threats against their identity related to migration. The types of threatshave an impact on how individuals respond.
O´Sullivan-Lago and De Abreu (2010) state in The Dialogical Self in a Cultural Contact
Zone: Exploring the Perceived ‘Cultural Correction’ Function of Schooling that individuals
who move to a new country may be required to change and reassess parts of their identity in order to bring stability to their lives. This study is from Ireland and involves a detailed text analysis of three case studies of Irish citizens in order to examine what identification grounds are used. The study gives a theoretical perspective on how people can understand the identity process that is created through the dialogical self when a new culture and society occur in life. Further, the dialogical self assumes that identity is variable, complex, multifaceted, bound to different coherence and adaptable to changes in time and space. According to the authors, a multiple identity exists simultaneously as an integral part of the complete self. This identity interacts with the environment and depends on coherence and relationships to others. The study focuses mainly on cultural identity and belonging. Furthermore, the dialogical self is multidimensional and influenced by an individual’s cultural coherence. The study
demonstrates that stability and safety are two motivational life factors which individuals strive to attain. Participants of this study who were asylum seekers experienced both cultural
10 insecurity as well as insecurity about the future. The asylum seekers had to reconstruct and reassess their identity in the dialogical self in order to manage the cultural insecurity. In addition, most of the participants who immigrated to Ireland chose to keep their cultural identity brought from their country of origin and identified themselves as immigrants.
2.3 The impact of migration on women
Meares (2010) describes in “A Fine Balance: Women, Work and Skilled Migration” (2010) how female immigrants’ household responsibilities and working lives are combined with their efforts of reaching a balance between emotional and practical obligations. The study examines women and men who have emigrated from South Africa to New Zealand. Respondents also experienced destroyed careers and increasing household responsibilities. These factors result in painful identity changes. Yeoh and Khoo (1998) investigate the impact of migration on the female role in their article “Home, Work and Community: Skilled International Migration and
Expatriate Women in Singapore”. The study shows that the female migrants’ strategy of
adaptation is to become part of the community and social spheres in order to create a new foundation in life. Highly educated immigrant females experienced changes in their professions when they moved to Singapore due to the existing hinders of employment. Childcare was also lacking making most of the women become housewives instead of developing careers. For a majority of the women this threatened their identity and wellbeing because it meant social disruption as well as creating new requirements in their environment. Many women experienced isolation and constant pressure to get adjusted to a new social life.
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Theoretical framework
This section narrates the different theoretical approachesbased on a symbolic interactionist perspective. George Herbert Mead and Charles Horton Cooley’s theories gives an overview of individuals identity building through interaction between people. These theories are relevant to this study since Mead and Cooley states that the social environment
affectindividuals and their selfbecause individuals contemplate on what people in their
environment think about them. This study examines whether an individual’s identity change in relation to migration and the newsocial environment. Furthermore, the gender theoretical approach is also appropriate, as the study focus mainly on whether the gender identity changes in relation to migration and the exchange of the social environment. The symbolic interactionist perspective and the gender approach gives an understanding of how
individuals’ self-images are affected by the stereotyped images regarding gender roles that exists in the current society. Women’s gender roles vary depending on the society its norms.
3.1 Gender
Gender is the social and cultural creation of men and women and is perceived as a variable. It is constructed and reconstructed within our cultural context (Hirdman 2008). Connell and Pearse (2015) state that the term gender indicates a cultural difference between women and men based on the biological divisions into males and females. The authors concur that gender is established in individuals already when they are small, hence boys are expected to behave differently than girls. Boys are expected to be more courageous, lively and strong while girls are expected to be more docile and quiescent (Connell and Pearse, 2015, pp. 23-25). Connell and Pearse hold that individuals are assigned gender roles through socialization. Furthermore, significant others socialize the child by teaching how to act in a certain way. The authors argue that there are many positive aspects of how children adapt to gender, but there are also weaknesses of this approach that should led to a deviation of the module of socialization. Connell and Pearse describe how gender deals with the way society depends on the human body as well as consequences brought about for the future and in private life. The authors
12 consider that patterns of gender differ among different cultures, but that they still are patterns of gender. In addition, gender order is seen as a social structure and not as a biological expression (ibid., pp. 23– 24).
3.2 Symbolic interactionism and socialization
Symbolic interactionism is a theoretical perspective derived from George Herbert Mead (1934) and Blumer (1969). Symbolic interactionism explains how individuals create a self-image and how it is done through interaction with others around us. An individual perceives itself on the basis of social interaction with other individuals(Hogg and Vaughan, 2002). A human being is perceived as interpretive and deliberative where symbols are the center of communication. People develop a so called “role take over” when they meet others, by having the ability to see themselves and their self-image in other human beings. Based on this, human beings act the way others expect them to. A social ability makes it possible for individuals to live with others. Furthermore, the role take over constitutes a basis for emotional life. Feelings of pride grow in an individual when seen by others. On the other hand, feelings of
embarrassment and shame are created when individuals are not seen favorably by others. According to symbolic interactionism, a social meeting is the most important part of a person’s life. (Johansson & Lalander, 2013, pp. 26–27).
A society does not exist independently without individuals. They are connected to each other as well as developed together. The relationship between society and individuals is very tight and is constantly continuing and developing. It is also a contributing factor to the creation of our selves. Cooley (1983) argues that previous experiences of individuals affect them as well as how they perceive responses from others. For instance, if an individual gets negative experiences, they receive responses from others negatively. The social origin of an
individual’s life occurs through relationships with others, it impacts the individual through gestures, facial expressions, feelings and accent, and later on by a person’s ability to understand speech. Cooley mentions that some functions are inherited at birth. These functions are biologically transferred from parents to children. (Cooley, 1983, pp. 2-3).
13 Cooley (1983) states that a person’s abilities and natural impulses are present already at birth. The social nature of a person is developed within primary groups where the individual learns from others. This is more able to change than the biological nature a person has when it is born. A person adapts to a specific coherence since its institutional and situational
behaviorcan change. According to Cooley, individuals are born with social emotions that later develop the individual’s self-consciousness. An individual must try to understand and get acquainted with other individuals’ thoughts in order to interact with them. The development of personal ideas depends on the growth of sympathy. Individuals are more open to other persons when they show much sympathy for them (ibid., pp.102–105). Cooley (1983) believes that sympathy is activated when a person attempts to understand something.
Individuals’ values or sympathies reflect the social society we live in (ibid., p.112). Cooley’s theory of the looking-glass self implies this, andthat individuals’ identity and self-esteem are a result of the processes that are created through social interactions. Individuals construct and see a picture of their own “self” when they are with primary groups such as family. This occurs through repeated experiences of how others react to our looking-glass selves. Cooley clarifies that feelings of pride and shame occur as a result of an individual’s self-esteem in another person’s view. Assessing others is significant for an individual’s ability of seeing self (Cooley, 1983, pp. 153-155).
3.3 Me and I
George Herbert Mead (1976) discusses how a person’s self constantly is developed through the process of social experience and activity and that it is not innate. Mead also states that language is very vital for the development of self. Socialization starts in infancy when the child learns from living with others in society, developing into an individual that can understand and interpret certain situations. The child learns how to understand itself and others through the images an individual get from the norms and rules of society (ibid., p. 118). An individual develops from the relationships included in the process. People tend to organize all experiences for them in order to become a part of self. Individuals’ experiences, especially the emotional ones, are parts of self. George clarifies that some things happen automatically, but we do not see them as the self. According to Mead, the self can be explained as a subject that is explained as “self” and as an object. It can be perceived as an object due to the awareness that comes by experiences - therefore it is seen as an object. Furthermore, it becomes easier for an individual to understand both somebody’s behavior and the situation if he or she (1) interacts with others and (2) gets acquainted with how others think. Mead also
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believes that the self is only built through social experiences that contribute to his or her referring to the own self; in other words, to who he or she is (ibid., pp. 111–113). Creation of self occurs through interaction with others and has different processes. Individuals become themselves by adopting different roles and acting like others. George Herbert Mead explains based on these descriptions of self that “I” is an individual’s belief of how others perceive a person’s self, or how others view “Me”. This in turn will affect one’s view of self (ibid., pp. 131-133).
4 Method
The methodological approach of the study is based on the purpose and research questions of the study. Initially, the choice of methods such as qualitative research, the narrative research approach and a thematic analysis will be presented. Later the selection of interviewees, data collection and reflections around the study’s reliability and validity will be considered.
Finally, ethical aspects will be demonstrated through the Swedish Research Council’s four main requirements regarding ethical considerations.
4.1 The choice of method
In order to answer the aim, I believe that a qualitative method is proper since the study does not intend to generalize the results, but to create a deeper understanding of the subject.
Bryman and Bell (2011) describe qualitative interviews as less structured than interviews in a quantitative research. Qualitative interviews move in different directions, which is important as it gives the researcher knowledge about how the respondents think. Unstructured and semi-structured interviews are types of interviews that can be used in a qualitative research. In this study, the empirical material will constitute semi-structured interviews with six women from Afghanistan. This study will also use a narrative research approach in order to get profound interviews with the respondents and to be able to analyze Afghan female immigrant’s
experiences regarding migration as well as how the identity dynamic changes or is influenced over time. (Kvale, 2007, p. 73). A thematic analysis will also be used because as a researcher I want to put the main focus on what is said rather than how it is said. (Bryman, 2011, p. 456).
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4.2 Sampling
Svenning (2003) states that a qualitative research always deals with a selective sampling in a study.This study will only examine six women from Afghanistan who have arrived in Sweden during the last six years. Their ages are between 24 and 37. The respondents consist of
Afghan students at a folk high school in Malmö.
4.3
Procedure
The interviews with the Afghan women were carried out in a folk high school in Malmö. I was allowed to visit while the women were having Swedish lessons. I introduced myself and the aim of my investigation as well as gave relevant information for students and teachers to take note of. I also visited a non-profit organization in order to interview women from Afghanistan. These interviews led to a snowball sampling where the participants referred me to other women who were willing to participate and contribute to the study (Bryman, 2011). The interview guide was designed on the basis of the research questions (see appendix 1). It consists of some background questions as well as interview questions that are related to the study’s research questions. In addition, open-ended questions were developed in order to let the respondents develop their own answers. Five interviews were carried out in English, while one interview was done in Swedish. The reason of why most of the interviewees were interviewed in English was that they had only been here for a limited time and could not
16 speak Swedish yet. However, English is neither my or the participants’ mother tongue and might lead to misunderstandings between us during the interview. Therefore, I summarized their responses in order to ensure that my interpretation and the meaning of the answers corresponded. In addition, I also gave interviewees the opportunity to develop or change their answers. Each interview lasted approximately one hour. Ekström and Larsson (2010) mention that an interview should be recorded in order to be transcribed. The interviews in this study were recorded with two recording devices. The recording devices were used in order to prevent changes of the interviews in case of poor sound quality or if the recording failed. An additional positive side effect was that there was no need of writing down the participants’ responses during the interviews. I was able to merely focus on what the interviewees answered. I also had the possibility to listen again to their answers to avoid any
misunderstandings. Furthermore, after one of the interviews I had a conversation with the woman. We talked about how Afghan culture differs from Swedish culture. Our conversation included relevant aspects of the study. I wrote down what we talked about so I would not forget what we discussed. The recorded material was transcribed after each finished interview. I also printed the interviews and read through them several times in order to identify themes and subthemes. These constitute a recurrent motive in the text that is carried out on data (Bryman, 2011. pp.527-528).
4.4 Data analysis
According to Svenning (2003), coding and analysis are integrated into the qualitative analysis and can resemble a cyclical process when the empirical material is read several times, which in turn results in new approaches. Denscombe (2000) argues that coding and categorization of data within qualitative research means to “break” data into analyzing entities and categorize them. The researcher focuses usually on specific ideas or appearances within the data material (Denscombe, 2000). In this study, the thematic analysis, also called qualitative content
analysis, is used in order to work through and analyze the collected material. This analysis method is also used since I want to focus on what the respondents answer rather than how they answer (Bryman, 2011).
17 The interview guide (see appendix 1) was designed based on the research questions.
Interviews were transcribed after they were made. The method used was to find codes in each individual interview. These codes were noted in an individual document and the themes were identified by the researcher’s observation of recurrent ideas and themes within the data. Lastly, common codes were found in all interviews and were created to four common themes and totally 19 sub themes. A table was designed for each theme where the sub themes were presented, and the short excerpts of the data were placed in the right cell (see appendix 2). Anumber of factors were taken into account when the tables were designed. The factors were the following: to indicate were the excerpts are from, to not bring too much information, use abbreviations and keep the respondent’s language as much as possible (Bryman, 2011, s.528).
4.5 Reliability & Validity
Reliability deals with trustworthiness and usability of a measuring instrument (Bryman, 2011, p. 49). In this study, two recording devices were used at the same time in order to ensure reliability. However, reliability can be problematic to measure in a qualitative research because it concentrates on understandings and interpretations, while a quantitative research uses standardized forms of measuring data. The researcher is required to describe the purpose of the investigation as well as the realization and discussion of drawn conclusions as a
measure of reliability. (Denscombe, 2000).
Validity is a term that shows to which extent a measurement can measure what it is intended to measure. (Cohen et al., 2011). This term can be divided into two aspects, internal and external validity. Internal validity deals with the concordance between the collected
empiricism and the theoretical starting points as well as with how the researcher carries out the investigation practically. For instance, it corroborates if the sampling of interviewees corresponds with the aim of the study and if the aspects of the survey’s questions are included. On the other hand, external validity deals with the entire investigation, including empiricism and theory as well as its anchoring to a broader framework and the possibility of generalization. Internal validity can be reached since the researcher is given access
to firsthand knowledge through interviews or observations. (Svenning, 2003). Furthermore, the internal validity within the framework of this study can be strengthened because the aim
18 of the study includes a characterized method selection, sampling and theoretical starting points. The interview guide was established on the basis of the research questions that have been directive in this study. However, the selection of method cannot be considered as representative of a larger population, since only six interviews were carried out. The external validity in this study is difficult to fulfil because the intention is to get a deeper understanding of the participants’ subjective opinions instead of result generalization.
4.6 Ethical considerations
Ethical considerations shall always be considered in a research. Kvalé (1997) explains the informed consent which means that the researcher informs the interviewees about the aim of the study as well as possible benefits and risks of participation. Research is a significant part for the development of society and individuals at the same time as the individuals have a right to claim protection in a research context. The Swedish Research Council states that a
fundamental protection of the individual must exist in all research. Individual protection requirement implies protection against an improper view of life conditions of the individuals as well as protection to avoid physical and mental injury of individuals. Furthermore, the individual protection requirement is considered a starting point of ethical considerations and can be clarified in four main requirements which are: information requirement, approval requirement, confidential requirement and utilization requirement. (Esaiasson et al., 2004). Information requirement means that the researcher informs the individuals that are
participating about the purpose of the research. The researcher must inform the interviewees that participation is voluntary and that they have right to cancel. Participants of this study were informed about the aim of the study as well as that participation was voluntary. In addition, the approval requirement deals with the participants’ right to decide whether to participate. Interviewees in this study verbally approved to participate in the interview after they had been informed about the purpose of the study. The confidential requirement implies that personal data shall be managed confidentially and be conserved in order to prevent
19 unauthorized access. The interviewees of this study are female immigrants from Afghanistan and their personal data may therefore constitute ethnically sensitive data. Names and other data have been excluded in order to avoid identification of the interviewees. The recordings were removed after transcription. Lastly, the utilization requirement deals with collected data about each individual that can only be used for a research design and not for other
non-scientific purposes. The provided material will only be used to gain an in-depth understanding regarding the aim of the study.
5 Results & Analysis
This part will present the results of the interviews that have been carried out. The result is presented with the help of the themes and sub themes that have been created in the work of the analysis. Furthermore, the results are analyzed based on the previous research and theoretical starting points that are the basis of this research. Initially, the background information of the six interviewees that have participated in the study will be presented. Interviewees have been allotted imaginary names to guarantee anonymity. The information of the participants consists of life situations in their home country as well as in Sweden, family situation, education and work experiences. The age of the respondents is between 24 and 37. All interviewees are originally domiciled in Afghanistan. All respondents are women.
Information of the respondents
Respondent 1 is a woman named Afia, 24 years old. She has been living in Sweden for 3
years. Afia has a husband and two children. She does not have any education. Afia does not have any work experience either. She was a housewife in Afghanistan. Afia studies Swedish at a folk high school. Afia’s plan for the future is to find a job. She had a good life in
Afghanistan before the war broke out. The war was the reason why she and her family moved to Sweden.
Respondent 2 is a woman named Bashira, 32 years old. She has been in Sweden for 3 years
and 5 months. She is married and has 3 children. She learns Swedish at a folk high school and works as a substitute in a kindergarten. The most important thing for Bashira is to find a steady job.Bashira studied art at a university in Afghanistan. She worked as a lecturer in
20 graphic design at a university. Her life in Afghanistan was good until the war broke out. Bashira and her family moved to Sweden because of unsafe conditions in Afghanistan. She thinks mainly of her daughters and their future.
Respondent 3 is a woman named Fatima, 35 years old. She has been in Sweden for 3 years
and 8 months. She has 4 children. She does not have any education. Fatima learns Swedish at a folk high school and socializes with friends and family in her spare time. Her future plan is to find a steady job. Fatima and her family moved to Sweden due to the disorder and war in Afghanistan. She and her husband also want to secure their children's future.
Respondent 4 is a woman named Amira, 24 years old. She has been in Sweden 4 years. Amira
is single and lives with her family in Sweden. She learns Swedish and works in a restaurant and wants to study law at the university. Amira sometimes went to school in Afghanistan. She and her family moved due to the disorders in Afghanistan. Amira feels that she has created a social life since moving to Sweden. She thought it was both fun and difficult to make the move to Sweden.
Respondent 5 is a woman named Parwana, 37 years old. She has been in Sweden for 3 years
and 2 months. She has 3 children. She learns Swedish and has a cleaning job. Parwana worked as a seamstress in Afghanistan and wants to find the same job in Sweden. Her experience of life in Afghanistan is that it was very hard due to limited opportunities for women. Her financial situation in Afghanistan was poor. Parwana now feels free and thrives in Sweden. Parwana and her family moved because of the war.
Respondent 6 is a woman named Fariha, 25 years old. She has been in Sweden for 3
years. Fariha is married but does not have any children. She learns Swedish and her future plan is to find a job. Fariha had a good life in Afghanistan before the war broke out. She went to school and enjoyed social life with family and friends. Her father worked and took care of the whole family.
21 The majority of the respondents see themselves as good individuals, kind and considerate of their families. Most of the respondents describe only positive qualities, while a few remarks that these can also be perceived as negative, for instance being too kind.
“I am quite independent and brave and can take care of myself. Very kind and considerate. This is what people tell me, but I do not think of those qualities as positive. I am kind-hearted and have experienced it in a negative way.” (Respondent 5)
The quotation underlines Cooley’s theory (1983) about the looking-glass self which implies that an individual has the ability to see itself, its image through others. An individual’s identity and self-esteem are a result of his or her social interaction.
The environment’s image of the respondents
The respondents believe that their social environment respects them. The respondents also often wish that their social circle had the same image as they have of themselves.
“I know what kind of a person I am, and I am sure that people see what I see. I hope so.” (Respondent 6)
“I feel that people respect me very much”. (Respondent 1)
Cooley’s theory (1983) of the looking-glass self is based on the organic society that
constantly develops and contributes to the construction of an individual’s self-image. Previous experiences influence his or her way of responding to others. For instance, an individual’s negative experiences lead to that other people’s responses are perceived in a negative way or vice versa.
The impact of migration on identity
Most of the respondents experienced that they had been influenced as well as that they had changed as individuals due to their migration. Their responses were varied as some of them did not think that migration had changed them. However, the majority experienced that they had been affected.
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“I have not changed. I am the same person as I was before.” (Respondent 3)
“I feel that I have changed as a person. I am a better person now. I have become independent. I work and make my own money. I have become more open-minded.” (Respondent 4)
Migration had positive effects on most of the respondents. The respondents felt that they had got the opportunity to develop as individuals and become better persons. Many of them felt that they had learned much since they had come to Sweden. They have adapted themselves to new lifestyles and values and have also learned a new language. This can be related to
individuals’ experiences of being in Sweden, since the self is not something that is not innate, but something that develops constantly over time (Mead, 1976). The social origin of an individual’s life occurs in association with other people and can be related to that individuals have been forced to adapt themselves to a new specific coherence. An individual develops and learns from its environment. It becomes easier for an individual to understand situations and behaviors of other people in interaction with them and getting acquainted with another people’s thinking. According to Mead (1976), the self is created through social experience that also makes an individual begin to reflect on his or her own identity.
Social relations -The relations impact on the respondents
Some of the respondents feel that they have gained knowledge through social relations, while most of the respondents do not experience that they are affected by social relations, since they think that private life and social relations should not be mixed.
“I think that we learn more and gain more knowledge when we have more people in our lives”. (Respondent 2)
Some of the respondents perceived their social relations as valuable and profitable, while some of them felt that they were not very affected by them because they thought that social relations distanced them from their own family relations. Mead (1976) states that social relations are very vital because they provide individuals with an opportunity to understand different situations and behaviors. Individuals get to acquaint themselves to other people’s
23 thoughts and thus gain more knowledge about themselves and life in general. Social meetings are the most important part in a person’s life.
Social relations in Sweden
The respondents’ answers vary regarding social relations. Some of the respondents do not have many social relations in Sweden. A few of them experience that relations in Sweden are not very close and that people who immigrate to Sweden also change their relations. One respondent experience that she does not have enough time for her relations because of her stressful life.
“I do not have many relations. I mostly relate with my relatives and cousins.” (Respondent 6) “I think that it is more difficult to create social relations here than in Afghanistan. The people here are jealous and not that kind and considerate like people are in my home country.” (Respondent 3)
These responses can be interpreted differently - for instance, some respondents may not have been able to become part of Swedish society yet. Therefore, they have not got the opportunity to create new social relations as Mead (1967) believes is an important part of a person’s life. The focus certainly lies on other things such as family in the beginning.
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Environments where social relations are created in Sweden
A few respondents feel that they have many good relationships. The majority of the respondents experience that school is an environment where they make relationships with other people. Some of the respondents mention that they make friends at their workplace and at the mosque. Another respondent experience that she makes new relationships in yet additional environments.
“I build relationships at school, work, at parties and when socializing with friends. I am a very social person.” (Respondent 4)
“I make relationships at school and through my siblings and husband.” (Respondent 1)
This can be understood as relationships are created in environments where the respondents find themselves the most. Many respondents mentioned that they build their relationships at school where they spend most of their time. A clear connection to theoretical starting points regarding creative social environments could not be established.
Cultural differences – Comparison between Afghanistan and
Sweden
Some of the respondents think that people in Sweden do not have enough time to socialize with each other and that they only catch up during weekends. One respondent explained that there are a lot of differences regarding personal treatment in Afghanistan and Sweden. A few of the respondents describe Swedes as kind and pleasant people. Two respondents mean that there is not much class difference in Sweden like in Afghanistan. Another respondent
experienced that the view of women is better in Sweden than in Afghanistan. Few of the respondents mention that they feel free in Sweden. Some of the respondents explain that they used to focus mainly on their economy when they lived in Afghanistan.
“People here are open-minded. I feel free and independent. I did not feel this when I lived in Afghanistan”. (Respondent 6)
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“There are no class differences in Sweden as in Afghanistan where some were considered better or less worthy than others. Everyone is equal in Sweden.” (Respondent 4)
Most of the respondents experienced major cultural differences between Afghanistan and Sweden. Furthermore, the differences concerned personal treatment, equality, structures and rules, which are found in Cooley’s (1983) reasoning that individual’s sympathies or values reflect society as a whole.
Connell and Pearse (2015) imply that the patterns of gender can differ considerably between different cultural coherences and that this might be the reason why women experience these contrasts in the view of women.
Women’s role
A few of the respondents experience major differences regarding the female role in
Afghanistan compared to Sweden. One respondent thinks that there are some differences, and that men rule over women. Some of the respondents do not experience any differences
regarding the female role. The majority of the respondents explain that women in Sweden are free and have the same rights as men. One of the respondents saw major contrasts regarding the view of women in Afghanistan compared to Sweden. Another respondent experienced that women in Afghanistan do not have any value.
“Women in Sweden are received as princesses. They are very respected, while women in Afghanistan are without value.” (Respondent 5)
“I do not feel that there are any major differences regarding the female role in Afghanistan and Sweden except that most women in Afghanistan are housewives, taking care of their
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children. That is very common in Afghanistan, while in Sweden it is very common that women work.” (Respondent 3)
Most of the respondents answered that a woman is free, independent and has the opportunity to choose the life she wants to live. According to Connell and Pearse (2015), gender
perspective is something that is socialized in individuals from birth. The different genders are therefore expected to behave in different ways. Connell and Pearse (2015) state that this depends on the societal attitudes towards the human body. The gender order is transmitted socially, differing between different countries. Furthermore, the individual experiences of the respondents regarding this reveal that they have noticed cultural differences concerning patterns of gender.
The experience of the new country
Some of the respondents mention that they feel safe in Sweden. A few of the respondents explain that Swedes are helpful. Two of the respondents thrive in Sweden compared to Afghanistan. The rest of the respondents experience that life in Sweden is very stressful. A few respondents wish that they had moved to Sweden earlier I life or that they had been born here.
“I do not feel as a foreigner in Sweden. I wish that I was born here. It is very difficult to move to a new country as an adult, not being able to speak the language or knowing the rules of the new country. It takes time to adapt oneself and become as one of the Swedes.” (Respondent 4) “I experience that people here are very stressed and this makes me get stressed myself. There is not much time to meet people. Everyone is busy and may not have time for their family either.” (Respondent 2)
Many of the respondents have a positive image of Sweden. Some of them changed their opinions about Sweden after they moved, as life in Sweden did not turn out to be what they had expected in the very beginning. The reason why most of the respondents has a good image of Sweden could be due to cultural differences. Most of the respondents’ stress that it is very important for an individual to feel safe in order to experience wellbeing, which is what most of the women experience in Sweden.
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Difficulties in Sweden
Most the respondents’ experience language problems. Respondent 1 thinks that it would have been easier to learn Swedish if she had moved here earlier. Some of the respondents feel that it is difficult to live in Sweden. Another respondent experience that life in Sweden is stressful. A few of the respondents mention that it would have been easier to move to Sweden as children as it would have been easier than to adapt to Swedish society. Most of the respondents think that language limits them and their life in Sweden.
“I feel that it is easy to get to know people, but it is difficult to speak the language.” (Respondent 5)
“I thought that life in Sweden would be very easy, but it was the contrary when I came here. I think that it is difficult to live in Sweden.” (Respondent 3)
Mead (1967) maintains that language is an integral part of the development of self. The women who were interviewed thought that the language was a problem for them when they moved to Sweden. According to Mead, this is not strange considering the symbols and significance of language. Most of the women experienced that language has limited their opportunities, and this may be one of the reasons why they have not created many social relations.
The view of Sweden before migrating
Many of the respondents explain how their main focus was the future of their children. The majority of the respondents said that they had never wanted to move but felt that there was no choice.
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“It was hard to leave my country. We would never have left Afghanistan if it was not for my children.” (Respondent 1)
“The first thing we thought about when we decided to migrate was our children. For the sake of our children. We never thought about moving to another country, but we had to because of the situation in Afghanistan.” (Respondent 2)
Most of the respondents moved from Afghanistan because they did not have a choice, since life there was unsafe. Many of the respondents have mentioned that words cannot describe what they felt when they moved. They think that migration must be experienced in order to understand how it is. A clear connection to the theoretical starting points could not be found.
The migration process - Experiences of migration
All respondents thought that the migration process was tough. Some respondents experienced that everything became better when they started to get adjusted. The respondents thought that it was difficult to leave their near and dear. One respondent mentions that she is thankful that Sweden received them. Another respondent feels that there is something that has been missing since she left Afghanistan. A third respondent explains that it was difficult to leave the home country, but that there were also positive things. The last respondent is happy to be in
Sweden.
“It was difficult to move from our home country. We are trying to adapt, but it is not easy. There is something that is missing.” (Respondent 3)
“Our beginning in Sweden was very tough. I wanted to move back to Afghanistan, but as time passed, I started to adapt to Sweden.”
(Respondent 4)
All respondents felt that life got better when they started adjusting to Swedish society. This is in line with Cooley’s (1983) theory that individuals and society are interrelated and develop
29 with each other. An individual and society cannot be separated, and the correspondence is a constantly developing and continuing process.
Well-being
The majority of the respondents feel well. Some of them experience that they feel better and better with time.
“I do not feel bad. I only felt bad in the beginning which was a tough period for me. Everything is better now. I have everything I want, and I do not complain about anything. I feel very good.” (Respondent 2)
“I felt very bad in the beginning. I missed my parents that I left in Afghanistan. Everything in Sweden was strange to me. I thought that I would never become part of this society, but it got better with time. I am happier now.” (Respondent 6)
Most of the respondents answered that they felt very bad in the beginning, but that it got better with time. The respondents’ wellbeing over time can be related to Cooley’s (1983) theory where he states that an individual’s situational and institutional behavior is something that can change, and that the individual adjusts to specific contexts.
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Future plans
Many of the respondents want to get employed and find a steady job. A few of the
respondents answered that the most important thing for them was to see their children succeed in the future. One respondent dream about becoming a lawyer. The most important thing for the respondents is to support their families. This mostly concerns women who are older, married and have children. On the other hand, one respondent who was young, single and did not have children had plans regarding herself and her personal development. The younger women also want to become more independent and get to do things that they have never done before. Many of the respondents have also mentioned that they want to live a simple life. A simple life for the respondents generally means to work and do well.
“I only want to see my children be successful students. They were good pupils in Afghanistan.” (Respondent 2)
“The most important thing for me is to find a steady job.” (Respondent 3)
Most of the respondents have become adjusted to life in Sweden. This can be linked to Cooley’s (1983) theory where he explains that an individual adapts to the environment in which he or she is located - and most of the respondents focus mainly on finding a job.
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6 Discussion and Analysis
The purpose of this study is to get an understanding of Afghan female immigrants’
experiences of the adaptation process in Sweden and whether there is an alternation in gender identity among Afghan women. The first research question remains: Do immigrants
experience difficulties of adapting to Sweden? If yes, how and what are these? There are many factors that play a role in the adaptation process to a new country. All respondents felt that it was difficult to adapt to Sweden in the beginning, but that it got better with time. It takes time for individuals to get used to a new society as well as adapting to it since they moved against their own will. The respondents moved to Sweden due to the disorganized living conditions in Afghanistan. It certainly takes time for the respondents to accept that they have been forced to move against their will. Some of the Afghan women experienced Sweden as a stressful country and some of them mentioned that they did not have enough time for social life like they did in their home country. The respondents have also mentioned that they were forced to get a job and learn Swedish, which are two major factors for women who have never worked or studied before. All respondents find it difficult not to know the language well enough and not be able to communicate with other people. The climate differences between Afghanistan and Sweden were also discussed by the respondents. These factors are major differences for the respondents, making it fully understandable that the adapting process to their new country takes a long time.
Kenneth Bledin (2003) states that immigrants may qualify for the mental health diagnosis Identity Disorder. He also states that an individual is influenced by culture and language. Immigrants must adapt to a new culture in order to change their self-advocacy and fit in with
32 the culture’s representation. Most of the interviewees feel that they have been able to adapt better to Sweden with time. They also report that they feel better. According to Bauer et al (2011) and Valentine et al (2009), immigrants feel that it is difficult to adapt to society in the new country even if they try. Certain individuals feel confused because they think that they either belong to their country of origin or to the country of destination. The authors’
populations and selections of study are different compared to mine, however there can still be connections to some of my respondents’ experiences in that they do not fully feel part of Sweden, despite their attempts to adapt. Furthermore, the study of Phinney et al. (2001) shows that individuals want to hold on to their birth culture, yet at the same time want to adapt to the new culture. This can be said about the majority of my respondents who want to adapt to the Swedish lifestyle while they simultaneously value their own culture. O’Sullivan et al. (2010) argues that individuals should change parts of their identity when they move to a new country. The respondents of his study feel that stability and safety are two important factors to strive for. This is also seen in my study since most of the respondents’ experience that they are safe in Sweden which is what their aim was. Timotijevic and Breakwell (2000) believe that differences that occur in relation to migration are associated with identity disruption. The women that I interviewed stated that did not experience identity disruptions; however, they stated that migration had in some way impacted their identity.
The second research question remains: How do Afghan women experience differences of their
gender role in Sweden compared to Afghanistan? Most of the interviewees indicated that
there were some differences. However, a few of them did not experience any difference at all. Concurrently they explained that while most women in Afghanistan were housewives, women in Sweden had to work. This is very contradictory, since I see this as a major difference in women’s gender roles. The respondents’ view of women’s gender roles is opposite. In
addition, most of the respondents thought that women in Sweden had more freedom compared to Afghanistan. The respondents defined freedom as the free will to do what you wish to do, achieve your goals and lead the life you want. Yeoh and Khoo (1998) and Meares (2010) argue that women can experience severe difficulties when their careers change, for instance when they have a good career and then become housewives. The authors explain that it is difficult for a woman to move to a new country and change careers. Most of the women in their study were forced to struggle with different threats to their sense of well-being along with feelings of insecurity and demands from the new society. It was different for the women I interviewed since they were housewives in their home country and entered working life in
33 Sweden; they still experienced some of the problems that Yeoh and Khoo and Meares
mention.
The third research question is: How does new social relationships in Sweden contribute to
Afghan women’s experience of dynamic change regarding gender identity? Some of the
respondents felt that social relationships impact an individual greatly, providing additional help, support, love and knowledge. Other respondents did not experience that they were influenced. One respondent stated that she wanted to spend time with Swedes because she could learn something new. It is easier to adapt to a new country when you get to know people. Most of the respondents expressed that they had changed when they migrated,
probably caused by social relationships. This was what they assumed. A contributing factor to the results might be the vagueness of the research questions concerning social relations as well as their impact.
Corsmos (2014) states that an individual’s mental state changes with the move to another country. This mental state change is based on the environment of the individual. A new lifestyle and new social relationships experienced daily bring about this change. Both influence the mindset, way of life and actions of an individual. Some similarities to Corsmos’s study were found in my research, since five of the women I interviewed had experienced a lifestyle and mentality change upon moving to Sweden.
Lewin’s (2011) study shows that many women have a positive approach to work and social life. However, my respondents did not emphasize the importance of social life like Lewin’s results indicate. They found social relationships less important than work. Some respondents did not think that they were affected by social relationships, but I suspect that they do not fully realize how relationships do affect them. This could depend on that the respondents have many superficial relationships which have not been let into their inner circle.
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Recommendation for further research
An interesting topic for further research would be to compare newly arrived female immigrants with those who have been in Sweden for a while already. It would also be
interesting to compare a female selection with a male one in order to examine any differences clearly.
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Appendix 1: Interview guidelines
1. How old are you?
2. How long have you been in Sweden?
3. Describe your family situation!
4. Do you have a job? If yes, what do you do?
5. What are your plans for the future?
6. Please explain your expectations as a woman in Afghanistan, compared to
your expectations as a woman in Sweden today!
7. Please explain what it was like to leave family and friends in Afghanistan!
8. Please describe your thoughts and feelings during the migration process!
9. What were your expectations about Sweden?
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