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PubMed · 17179875

Self-reported integration as a proxy for acculturation: a qualitative study.

Yulia Blomstedt·Ingrid Hylander·Jan Sundquist
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: It is essential to account for acculturation in any research conducted in multicultural populations. Both unidimensional and bidimensional approaches are used to measure the extent of acculturation; however, neither one of them is optimal. OBJECTIVE: To explore the immigrants' rating of the extent of their acculturation (self-reported integration) in contrast to an external (researchers') measurement. METHODS: Fifteen in-depth interviews with strategically sampled Russian-speaking men and women aged 25-70 years, with varying marital and employment status and living permanently in Stockholm, Sweden, were analyzed using a content analysis technique. The results were validated by means of a series of additional mini-interviews by telephone. RESULTS: The immigrants' self-reported integration corresponded with the researchers' bidimensional measurement of the extent of acculturation of these immigrants. Self-reported integration accounted for the mastering of the formal criteria of integration, resolving of grief concerning the homeland, and fulfilling the internal criteria of integration. DISCUSSION: Self-reported integration may be used as a proxy for acculturation but its application should be tested primarily in other settings and in a quantitative analysis.

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AcculturationAdultAgedEmigration and ImmigrationFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedReproducibility of ResultsRussiaSelf-AssessmentSocial IdentificationSwedenEvaluation StudyJournal ArticleResearch Support, N.I.H., ExtramuralResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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Yulia Blomstedt, Ingrid Hylander, Jan Sundquist. Self-reported integration as a proxy for acculturation: a qualitative study.. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006199-200701000-00008

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