1. Determinants of an inclusive migrant adaptation context (DIMA)
15/02/2019
Determinants of an inclusive migrant adaptation context (DIMA)
Raivo Vetik
Professor of Comparative Politics
Tallinn University

2. The DIMA team:
Estonia: Raivo Vetik, Maaris Raudsepp, Aune Valk, Jüri Kruusvall, Larissa Kus-Harbord, Marianna Makarova (Tallinn University)
Norway: David Lacland Sam, Arseni Markov, Valeria Markov (Bergen University)

3. Objectives:
To expand the psychological model of acculturation (Berry) by introducing a sociological and field-theoretical (Bourdieu) approach
To compare acculturation processes and outcomes among Russian migrants and native majority in Estonia and Norway
To contribute to better understanding of the determinants of inter-cultural adaptation versus conflict

4. A major shortcoming in the current mainstream:
Large unexplained variance – inter-cultural domination is understood in terms of external background variables, not in terms of field interests.
The ‘mutuality models’:
highlight importance of acculturation context, which brings in the issue of social domination: MAM (Berry) IAM (Bourhis), CMA (Piontkowski, Brown), DCC (Horenzcyk), RAEM (Navas).

5. Socio-economic adaptation (means in the Lickert scale and percents)
Estonians
Estonian Russians
Norwegians
Norwegian
Russsians
 Subject positions (open/closed)
closed
open
Life satisfaction
3,3
3,5
2,5
2,9
4,0
3,9
Family socio-economic situation is good 56 45 37 46 66 75 86
Socio-economic discrimination
2,4
2,8
4,3
3,7
3,4
3,6
3,1
2,6
Job does not correspond to educ. 30 21 48 34 29 41
Unemployed during last 5 years 17 20 12 14

6. Inter-cultural adaptation (percents and means in the Lickert scale)
Subject positions (open/closed)
Estonians
Estonian Russians
Norwegians
Norwegian
Russians
closed
open
Positive feelings towards the ’other’ group 52 55 67 79 53 58 71 76
Trust of the ’other’ group
3,2
3,6
2.9
3.6
3,8
4,0
4,4

7. Three key efindings:
Different histories and levels of interethnic polarization in two nations have a major impact on positioning strategies and adaptation outcomes both on the levels of inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic relations.
The more polarized the intercultural context, the stronger the tendency to construct the ‘other’ in terms of divisive intercultural boundaries.
Lower socio-economic and cultural status of the so called ‘closed’ segments represents the main factor behind the tendency to construct divisive intercultural boundaries.