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Immigrants’ Sense of Belonging to the Host Country: The Role of Life Satisfaction, Language Proficiency, and Religious Motives

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  • Karin Amit
  • Shirly Bar-Lev

Abstract

This paper focuses on a significant concept in migration studies: immigrants’ sense of belonging to the host society. Drawing upon the literature of immigration and subjective well-being, we proposed a model in which life satisfaction is a major predictor of immigrants’ sense of belonging, and is explained by background variables including religious affiliation, religious motivation, native language proficiency and ethnic segregation. The study was based on a survey of two groups of highly skilled migrants in Israel; immigrants from France and the Former Soviet Union who moved to Israel in the last two decades. The findings suggest that, as expected, life satisfaction had a significant influence on immigrants’ sense of belonging and served as a mediator variable in the model. Whereas ethnic segregation was not found to be a significant parameter in the model, religious motivation and Hebrew language proficiency were found to be prominent. In light of the literature, we also discuss the importance of religious motivations to immigrants’ subjective well-being, identity, and sense of belonging. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

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  • Karin Amit & Shirly Bar-Lev, 2015. "Immigrants’ Sense of Belonging to the Host Country: The Role of Life Satisfaction, Language Proficiency, and Religious Motives," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 124(3), pages 947-961, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:124:y:2015:i:3:p:947-961
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-014-0823-3
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    4. Isabelle Albert, 2021. "Perceived loneliness and the role of cultural and intergenerational belonging: the case of Portuguese first-generation immigrants in Luxembourg," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 299-310, September.
    5. L. Migliorini & T. Tassara & N. Rania, 2019. "A Study of Subjective Well-Being and Life Satisfaction in Italy: how are Children doing at 8 years of Age?," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 12(1), pages 49-69, February.
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    7. Julia S. Granderath & Andreas Martin & Laura Froehlich, 2021. "The Effect of Participation in Adult Education on Life Satisfaction of Immigrants and Natives: A Longitudinal Analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(7), pages 3043-3067, October.
    8. Roxy Elisabeth Christina Damen & Jaco Dagevos & Willem Huijnk, 2022. "Refugee Reception Re-examined: a Quantitative Study on the Impact of the Reception Period for Mental Health and Host Country Language Proficiency Among Syrian Refugees in the Netherlands," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 1-21, March.
    9. Karin Amit, 2018. "Identity, Belonging and Intentions to Leave of First and 1.5 Generation FSU Immigrants in Israel," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 139(3), pages 1219-1235, October.
    10. Claudia Soto Saavedra & Jane Lilly Lopez & Stacey A. Shaw & Benjamin G. Gibbs, 2023. "“It Happened When I Was Connecting to the Community…”: Multiple Pathways to Migrant (Non)Belonging in a New Destination Setting," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-21, January.
    11. Cihan Aydiner & Erin L. Rider, 2022. "Reskilled and Integrated, but How? Navigating Trauma and Temporary Hardships," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-18, October.

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