Kosovar Albanian Identity within migration in the Swedish society
IdentityCultureFirst-generation immigrantSecond-generation immigrantDiasporaTransnationalismEthnic identity'Kosovar'
ABSTRACT
Within migration and globalization the concept of ethnic identity, religious identity and belonging have come to play a significant role in both immigrants? lives and as well in social context. Sweden, as a multicultural society has been dealing with different ethnic groups of immigrants and the way these minority groups perceive themselves to be and how they are perceived by others in the society has also come to be of high importance. By migrating people also change their position. They often occupy inferior positions in the society when they settle down in the new country. Identity as a phenomenon is very abstract. It is a process that is shaped by social processes. My own thoughts to the questions of identity shape and belonging inspired me to specifically look into the Kosovar Albanian immigrants in Sweden and investigate their views and experiences of their shapes and changes of identity while living in Sweden, where they constantly are facing cultural differences. I wanted to research this phenomenon, partly because this subject lies personally close to me and see if other Kosovar Albanians share the same experiences.
From the experiences of the respondents that were selected during the interviews it is shown that immigrants are always in between two cultures, which gives the sense of confusion while they do not know where ?home? really is. The respondents show everything from how they feel themselves to how they are perceived by others. They have a background with different values and norms, they have an existing identity and they are influenced by Swedish values and norms, which leads to identity shape. The important theories that are described in the text strengthen the respondents? views and experiences and give a broader understanding to the issue of identity. Ethnicity, culture, religion, diaspora and transnationalism are highly crucial to the subject. The historical background of the Kosovar Albanians is also important because of their pre-existing national and ethnic feelings about their country as an independent state and their rights to express their culture.
Keywords: identity, ethnicity, first & second generation immigrants, culture, diaspora, transnationalism, ?Kosovar? identity.