Navigating Uncertainty: An Analysis of the Settlement Process of Ukrainian female refugees in Denmark
Authors
Parvanova-Bakalova, Aleksia Pavlova ; Lass, Amanda
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2023
Abstract
This thesis explores how highly educated Ukrainian female refugees in Denmark experience and navigate settlement in the context of the war in Ukraine, the EU Temporary Protection Directive, and Denmark’s Special Act. Using a qualitative, inductive design, we conducted five semi-structured interviews and applied Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to access participants’ first-person accounts of daily life, access to housing and the labor market, and encounters with authorities and civil society. The analysis is guided by Honneth’s theory of recognition, Bourdieu’s forms of capital, Appadurai’s and de Haas’s aspirations-capabilities approach, and Jenkins’s social identity theory. Findings indicate that social solidarity and a welcoming reception in Danish society have fostered a sense of belonging and supported participants’ efforts to pursue their aspirations. At the same time, prolonged bureaucratic procedures and a lack of individualized approaches within the integration system pose significant barriers. Social networks, English language skills, and personal aspirations act as key facilitators of settlement, while participants strategically seek to convert and validate their cultural and symbolic resources in a new social context to achieve self-realization. The study further shows that social identity can shape the direction and feasibility of aspirations.
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan højtuddannede ukrainske kvindelige flygtninge i Danmark oplever og navigerer deres bosætning i lyset af krigen i Ukraine, EU’s midlertidige beskyttelsesordning og den danske særlov. Med et kvalitativt, induktivt design gennemførte vi fem semi-strukturerede interviews og anvendte Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) for at forstå deltagernes egne beretninger om hverdagsliv, adgang til bolig og arbejdsmarked samt møder med myndigheder og civilsamfund. Analysen er rammesat af Honneths anerkendelsesteori, Bourdieus kapitalbegreb, Appadurais og de Haas’ aspiration-capabilities-tilgang samt Jenkins’ social identitetsteori. Resultaterne peger på, at social solidaritet og en imødekommende modtagelse i det danske samfund har styrket deltagernes tilhørsforhold og støttet dem i at forfølge deres aspirationer. Samtidig fremhæver de langvarige bureaukratiske processer og en manglende individuel tilgang i integrationsapparatet som væsentlige barrierer. Sociale netværk, engelskkundskaber og egne aspirationer fungerer som nøglefaktorer, der letter bosætningen, mens deltagerne strategisk søger at omsætte og validere deres kulturelle og symbolske ressourcer i en ny social kontekst for at opnå selvrealisering. Studiet viser endvidere, at social identitet kan påvirke aspirationernes retning og muligheder.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]
Other projects by the authors
Parvanova-Bakalova, Aleksia Pavlova:
Lass, Amanda: