Intergenerational Relations in Families with an Immigrant Background

Immigration is a huge transition that requires reassessment of several central questions of identity and belonging. On one hand, family can be considered representing continuity in this process, a point of reference through which life in the new society is lived and assessed. On the other hand, family relations come to be under reassessment as well, and have to be rearranged according to new demands.

While a vast amount of research on integration of immigrants exists, it is mostly concentrated on individual immigrants and their integration in separate fields, such as in employment and school. Recently, the growing need for knowledge on issues of family and intergenerational relations of immigrants has been brought up in Finnish research as well.