The Turks In Sweden In The Triangle Of Acculturation, Integration And Homeland

In this field study, social, cultural, political identity and sense of belonging to Turks in Sweden, to which degree they are integrated into the country they live in, their perception about their homeland, and whether there is a difference between the generations about this subject were assessed in line with the data obtained in the research. The data obtained in the field study carried out in Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö cities, the most densely inhabited cities by Turks, and the analysis of the data was made using SPSS 18 programme. When the data obtained are analysed, it is revealed that Turks in Sweden care for the identity formation representing their homeland and its continuation in socio-cultural terms, and they generally tend to be conservative in this sense. Nevertheless, it is also understood that the contact of Turks in Sweden with Turkish culture and Turkey is gradually decreasing (when it compared to the past). This also reveals the differences between the generations. When that 3rd generation young Turks born in Sweden came to Turkey, they generally do not feel like in their homeland, but in a foreign country or a country they visit as guests, and this also related to this kind of change. While negativities occur at the point of active participation of the Turks in Sweden in the political system in this country, that they are generally in a positive level at the point of corporate integration is another result arising out of the data obtained in the field study.

Keywords

international migration, Turkish immigrants, acculturation, sense of belonging, identity perception.