Transnational perspectives on migration have challenged conventional understandings of migrant assimilation. However, theories on the relation between transnational engagement and integration are still offering a quite dualistic picture. Until today, few quantitative studies have been conducted on the consequences of transnational activities for immigrant integration, especially within the European context. The objective of this study is to provide empirical knowledge that enables a further evaluation of the accuracy of classic assimilation theory in a society where a growing part of the population is believed to maintain cross-national ties. With the use of data from The Swedish Level of Living Survey of Foreign Born (LNU-UFB) the study focuses on three different aspects of integration outcomes: social, cultural and economic integration. The study finds significant correlations between transnational activities and all three integration outcomes, also when well-known determinants of integration are controlled for. The directions of these associations are similar across each aspect of integration but vary with type of transnational activity. Whilst sending remittances and travelling frequently to the country of origin are positively associated with social, cultural and economic aspects of integration, longer duration of stay in the country of origin is negatively associated with integration outcomes. Both number and length of visits are additionally found to be more important for migrants who have recently come to Sweden and were older when migrating than those having lived in Sweden a longer period of time or from young ages.  Noting the underlying and multi-directional causality, the results overall imply a further critique of the classic assimilationist view, supporting a more pragmatic view of both integration and transnational activities as parts of the same processes.

This research study focuses on promoting historical, religious, and cultural knowledge among transnational Druze. The Druze are a relatively small, tightly knit religious community from the Middle East who practice endogamy and accept no converts. In the diaspora, Druze have often established their own communities based on their collective ancestral and familial ties and through the establishment of groups such as the American Druze Society. This study works to allow individuals to discuss their Druze identity, identify the community's social problems, and recommend possible approaches or solutions. My research experience as an insider doing ethnography among fellow Druze has in many cases worked to my favor while studying a group whose religious tenets have been considered secret since their inception a thousand years ago. The extensive participant observation, combined with a thorough review of Druze history and literature, works to illustrate the unique position of North American Druze and how they have evolved from a small fraternity of immigrants into a growing and close-knit and well organized community. As well, survey responses and semi-structured interviews have given voice to individuals allowing them to explain how they perceive the community and its circumstances. Triangulating these methods I have found that many Druze identify a number of problems that include concerns about the community's future as well as a general dissatisfaction with their own lack of religious knowledge.

The present study examines the assimilation of Mexican Americans in the United States. Their relative non-assimilation into American society was first traced through three historical periods. These periods were Conquest and Conflict, which covered the period between settlement to the 1850's; Partial Accommodation, from the 1850's to the 1930's; and Towards Cultural Pluralism from the 1940's to the present. Although the group relations were very different in each of these periods, Mexican Americans did not Assimilate. In the contemporary period a more detailed analysis was undertaken. Gordon's model of assimilation was tested on a sample of Mexican Americans. This sample was obtained from NC-128 samples in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan and Texas. Due to the broad scope of Gordon's model, only four of the many possible hypotheses were tested. These four were: 1) an inverse relationship between Cultural Heterogeneity and Assimilation, 2) a direct relationship between Value Consensus and Assimilation, 3) an inverse relationship between stereotyping and assimilation, and 4) Structural Assimilation is a stronger type of assimilation than in Civic Assimilation. The two dimensions of Cultural Heterogeneity measured here were Spanish and Familism. Both of these were statistically significant in their associations with Structural and Civic Assimilation. The third hypothesis also found some support here, as the two measures of Stereotyping, Possibility of Integration and Perception of Prejudice, were statistically significant in their associations with Structural but not Civic Assimilation. In the fourth hypothesis, Structural Assimilation was also found to be a more significant type of Assimilation than Civic. It had more statistically significant associations with the independent variables than did Civic Assimilation. Also, these associations tended to be of greater strength as determined by the R's. Support could not be found here for the second hypothesis dealing with Value Consensus and either Structural or Civic Assimilation. In a cursory examination of sex differences, Mexican American females were found to be more susceptible to assimilation pressures than were Mexican American males. This was evidenced in the statistically significant differences in the strength of the associations between Structural Assimilation and the independent variables for females.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

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The title of this study is: The Swedish assimilation of Scania during the period 1658-1720 - In descriptions of Danish and Swedish popular historians` during 20th century to current view. View of history, nationalism and science .                                                                                                          The study concerns the Swedish, after the conquest of Scania 1658, attempts to induce feelings of Swedish nationality to the people in former Danish province of Scania 1658-1720. The goal of this study was to analyze 20th century and present Swedish and Danish historians’ descriptions of the Swedish and Danish treatment of the native Scania population. The aim was further to describe this historians` view of native rebellious group called “snapphanar” and which measures were taken to assimilate the Scanian population to Swedish realm. Lastly, the historians view above concerning a presence of a native Scanian regional or national identity was studied.                I studied writings of three popular historians from Denmark and from Sweden respectively. To compensate for the influence of nationalism on historiography, sources from three periods during the 20th and the current century was used.                                            In the attempt to reach these main goals I have analyzed the authors’ books and the Swedish and Danish versions of the website Wikipedia. All the popular historians´ mean that the people of Scania felt national identity, except Åberg which mean that they also had a regional identity. The Swedish scholarship had a big influence of making the native population citizens of the Swedish crown. Also the punishment had a big impact, which mainly affected the partisan group called snapphanar. This is in detail described by Wikipedia. 20th century Danish popular historians` describe the abuses on the natives by the Swedish realm while the Swedish historians mostly describe snapphanars rubies on them.