Walking and talking integration: triangulation of data from interviews and go-alongs for exploring immigrant welfare recipients' sense(s) of belonging

Abstract

"Integration of immigrants is a major political and societal topic in societies such as Germany, although there are different ideas about when integration is achieved. For analyzing integration from the immigrants' points of view, data triangulation of talking (episodic interviews addressing migration histories) and walking (mobile methods -- go-alongs) reveals several levels of integration experiences. After outlining space and belonging as relevant theoretical concepts and the methods triangulated in a study, four case studies of immigrants from Turkey and the former Soviet Union in Berlin are presented. The immigrants' perceptions and aspirations toward belonging, participation, and integration are explored and compared from an intersectional perspective. We find differing ways of positioning toward the German majority society, of getting connected to it and coping with unemployment. Relations of work and social integration or marginalization are discussed based on the case studies and the relevance of using various kinds of data is demonstrated." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Flick, U., Hirseland, A. & Hans, B. (2019): Walking and talking integration: triangulation of data from interviews and go-alongs for exploring immigrant welfare recipients' sense(s) of belonging. In: Qualitative Inquiry, Vol. 25, No. 8, p. 799-810. DOI:10.1177/1077800418809515