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Exploring the Inter-generational Process of Cultural Integration of Afghan Immigrants in Iranian Society

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate in Demography, Department of Social Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

2 Associate Professor of Demography, Department of Social Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Department of Demography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

4 Associate Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

5 Professor, Department of Demography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/jcsc.2022.559929.2595

Abstract

Iran has hosted foreign immigrants, mostly Afghans and Iraqis, in the last four decades. Along with the dimensions of structural integration of immigrants, the dimension of cultural integration is also important and key. Cultural integration as a process in which immigrants acquire knowledge and cultural norms for interacting with the host society, facilitated by motivations for integration. The aim of this article is to explore the process of cultural integration among the first and second generation Afghan immigrants in Iran. The research has been conducted within the framework of a constructivist approach and a grounded theory research method. The sampling method was purposeful and snowball and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 45 participants. The data obtained from the interview were analyzed at three levels of initial, focused and theoretical coding. Findings indicate ten main categories including; initial surprise, recognition, similarity, assimilation, convergence, following the values of the origin, the desire to maintain the values of the destination, the centrality of the language and cultural resistance of the host. By summarizing the main categories, " cultural identity " was determined as the final category. According to the research results, cultural assimilation among immigrants has been formed in an intergenerational process, It can be said that cultural transmission has been formed for second generation immigrants.

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References
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Cultural Studies & Communication
Volume 19, Issue 73
March 2024
Pages 11-37
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