The challenges of Serbian immigrants in Ireland -An examination of the process of acculturation

Abstract

The present study is a qualitative piece of research which will explore the experiences of Serbian immigrants in Ireland and it will closely examine the potential difficulties, advantages and disadvantages caused by the individual’s act of immigration. The study intended to identify how immigrants balance between two cultures, and based on their perceptions towards keeping their own heritage culture and the adoption of a foreign one, which acculturation strategy arose as a result. The data was obtained from six Serbian participants, three male and three female, using in-depth semi-structured interviews. As a result of the interviews, four themes emerged: Being an immigrant, A comparison of life: Serbia v Ireland, Social circles and Language. The careful analysis of the themes, led to conclusions that the most common acculturation strategy used by Serbian immigrants in Ireland is integration. Factors such as education, language proficiency and social circles were found to be the essential importance for adaptation into a foreign society.