Finding friends after resettlement: A study of the social integration of immigrants and refugees, their personal networks and self-work in everyday life

Abstract

The social integration of first generation immigrants in Norway is the main topic of this study. Although most immigrants in Norway receive generous resettlement and welfare assistance from the state, experiences of non-belonging, cultural distance and lack of recognition from the mainstream are still a common fact of daily social life for many of them. In this study, I relate these experiences to relationships that immigrants have established with other people. My interest is primarily on immigrant identities and the meanings they attach to interactions and relations within their social networks.