FOREIGNER INTEGRATION AND STIGMA IN LITHUANIA

Budreikaite, Agne

4. term

Development and International Relations, Master

2018

Afhandlingen undersøger, hvordan udlændinge i Litauen opfatter og oplever integration, og hvordan de navigerer i processen i lyset af stigma og xenofobi. Med udgangspunkt i interviews med immigranter, suppleret af spørgeskemaer, gennemgang af integrationspolitik og meningsmålinger, beskrives deres hverdagsliv, udfordringer og strategier. Teoretisk trækker studiet på integrationslitteratur, Axel Honneths anerkendelsesteori og stigmabegrebet. Resultaterne viser, at nogle deltagere har oplevet diskrimination, men efter deres egen vurdering har den ikke haft stor indflydelse på deres liv. Sproget fremstår derimod som den vigtigste barriere for fuld deltagelse, og manglende forståelse af omgivelserne gør integrationen vanskeligere. Afhandlingen peger på behovet for dybere analyser og mere personlige samtaler for at afdække flere dimensioner af integration og stigma i Litauen.

This thesis examines how foreigners in Lithuania perceive and experience integration and how they navigate the process amid stigma and xenophobia. Drawing on interviews with immigrants, supplemented by surveys, a review of integration policies, and opinion polls, it portrays everyday lives, challenges, and strategies. The analysis is informed by integration scholarship, Axel Honneth’s recognition theory, and the concept of stigma. Findings indicate that some participants encountered discrimination, yet by their own assessment it did not significantly affect their lives. In contrast, the language barrier emerges as the most important obstacle to full participation, with limited understanding of the surroundings making integration more difficult. The study highlights the need for deeper analyses and more personal conversations to uncover additional dimensions of integration and stigma in Lithuania.

[This summary has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project (PDF)]

integration ; Lithuania ; stigma ; foreigners ; xenophobia

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