Mag ik erbij horen? Een onderzoek naar inburgering en integratie’

Abstract

Purpose/aim: The aim of this study is to investigate how the imaging of the Dutch government about immigrants has changed over the last 20 years. The focus is on processes of integration and expectation put forward by the government about immigrants. Because of the lack of studies about imaging about immigrants, this study can be a useful addition to the current field. The focus of this study is on integration, self-reliance, and knowledge of the language and society. Method: The research is conducted by using qualitative content analysis of five governmental debates held in Dutch parliament from 1997-2017. Analysis was used to identify themes and changes over a period of 20 years. Results: There have been several changes over the last 20 years in the imaging of the Dutch government about immigrants. Immigrants are expected to be more self-reliant, have a broader knowledge of the language and society, adopt more of the culture, and leave more of their cultural identity behind. Conclusion/ discussion: The findings of this study are an addition to current knowledge, because it gives a unique insight the imaging of the government. This study also asks for more research to investigate more aspects of this subject, such as the different synonyms used for immigrants.