Open AccessThe Importance of Subjectively Constructed Meaning: Integration Viewed From the Perspective of Immigrants
Author(s) -
Antonella Spanò,
Markieta Domecka
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
przegląd socjologii jakościowej
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1733-8069
DOI - 10.18778/1733-8069.11.3.07
Subject(s) - perspective (graphical) , social integration , narrative , meaning (existential) , context (archaeology) , immigration , politics , sociology , ukrainian , field (mathematics) , narrative inquiry , social psychology , political science , psychology , law , history , linguistics , philosophy , mathematics , archaeology , artificial intelligence , computer science , anthropology , pure mathematics , psychotherapist
In political discourse, as much as in social studies, the term integration is commonly viewed in the context of migration. On the basis of ‘objective’ indicators and statistical analysis, the level of integration is measured and assessed as ‘low’ or ‘high’, ‘sufficient’ or ‘insufficient’. This is the perspective of the receiving countries (not migrants), which clearly dominates in this field of study. Seeing this perspective as partial, we decided to ask migrants themselves what integration means to them. The analysis of the narrative interviews conducted with Ukrainian, Srilankese and Senegalese men and women living in the South of Italy has demonstrated that integration for them is more related to the notion of ‘good life’ than to a desire of becoming ‘one of us’.2 Our interviewees’ approach to integration is very pragmatic as pursuing their own life projects, even if they turn out to be relatively modest, is after all their main concern. From their narratives emerges an idea of integration as acceptance and satisfaction, but without aspirations for equality, participation and full social and political rights, which calls for more active integration policies.