Exploring the Lived Meanings of Social Integration in Educational Settings among Second-Generation Migrants
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Abstract
Migration and integration studies have long examined the social and cultural dynamics of diverse societies shaped by global mobility. Within this field, the experiences of second-generation migrants in education have become an important focus, yet much of the existing research emphasizes structural or quantitative outcomes rather than lived realities. Consequently, the specific research problem addressed in this study concerns the limited understanding of how second-generation migrants personally interpret and experience social integration within educational settings. Despite these contributions, limited attention has been given to how second-generation migrants themselves make sense of identity, belonging, and recognition in formal educational contexts, leaving unanswered how integration is experienced as a personal and social process. This study applies an interpretative phenomenological approach to explore how second-generation migrants articulate their experiences of integration within schools. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 participants from diverse ethnic backgrounds, the analysis identified themes of hybrid identity negotiation, subtle exclusion, peer support, and the pursuit of recognition through educational achievement. The findings demonstrate that integration is not a fixed outcome but a continuous negotiation shaped by cultural expectations, social interactions, and personal aspirations. By foregrounding participants’ voices, this research highlights the centrality of education as both a site of opportunity and a burden of legitimacy. The results contribute to a richer understanding of social integration and extend migration studies by emphasizing the meanings embedded in everyday experiences. These insights underscore the importance of phenomenological inquiry for capturing the essence of lived realities and suggest directions for future research that compare contexts or explore integration trajectories over time.
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