Russian-speaking female immigrants in the Swedish society: acculturation strategies and the role of spiritual practices.

Sammanfattning: This study aims to test the acculturation theory by researching the case of Russian-speaking female immigrants in Sweden. Special attention is given to the role of religious and spiritual practices in the acculturation and adaptation processes. The research is based on data collected during semi-structured interviews with nine Russian-speaking females residing in Sweden. The findings affirm that acculturation strategies chosen by Russian-speaking female immigrants corroborate the data received in previous equivalent studies. The correlation between language proficiency, employment, and length of stay with the choice of integration or assimilation was confirmed. It can be seen from this small sample that cultural context plays an enormous role in the choice of the strategy and the ability to accomplish it. Psychologically Russian-speaking women demonstrated a high level of tolerance and capability to resign themselves to the inevitable, implementing nevertheless their chosen strategy and not resigning. The study showed that religion or spirituality served as no barrier to integration or assimilation. Previous religious beliefs (if the woman had them) remained for private life and never interfered with the integration process which can be partially explained by the very nature of religiosity in Sweden described by the Swedish religious scholar David Thurfjell as “private religiosity”.