Description

"Finding friends after resettlement" attempts to see beyond the debate that divides immigrant social trajectories into simple processes of gradual segregation and integration. The author maintains that this dichotomy hides a wide latitude of social trajectories and identity negotiations. Patterns of social integration can be traced in the intersection between face-to-face interactions that immigrants have with others, features of their personal network, and immigrant attempts to deal with these dimensions. It is argued in this book that the most realistic adaptation line for first generation non- western immigrants in Norway would appear to be different kinds of selective bridging to the mainstream, based on weak ties with indigenous locals. Nevertheless, this kind of bridging to the mainstream should not be neglected and underestimated. These friends and acquaintances become symbols of acceptance that help newcomers construct identities of themselves as people who are included and respected in their new social environment.