Att stå mellan två världar - En kvalitativ studie om identitetsskapandet hos andra generationens invandrare

Sammanfattning: This study seeks to explore the identity and cultural belonging of second-generation immigrants. The purpose is to examine the view that second-generation immigrants have on these two aspects and the impact it has on creating their identity. The study is conducted through qualitative semi-structured interviews held with six individuals who qualify as second-generation immigrants. The individuals consist of three females and three males between the ages of 20-25. Based on the empirical material, it is established that second-generation immigrants generally experience a constant negotiation between two cultural identities. They feel in-betweenness, with no greater sense of belonging to one or the other culture. Instead, they identify with both cultures. Furthermore, the study reveals that a significant impact on the interviewees' sense of belonging comes from their families. It is demonstrated that if the families have a close connection to their original culture, in form of traditions and customs, the more reinforced is the interviewees' ethnic identity. The majority of the respondents asserted that the term “immigrants” is a wrong classification of them, as they were born in Sweden and have not immigrated. Instead, they considered themselves foreigners or people with immigrant backgrounds. Despite the respondents' having two cultural affiliations, they express pride in being second-generation immigrants. They claim that they have created their own identity based on two cultures and it has made them become who they are today. The feeling of moving between two different cultures with different cultural frames of reference has created a hybrid identity for the respondents. It can be described as “the third identity".