Acculturation Process of the Immigrant Turks Living in Deventer, The Netherlands

Approximate populations of non-European origin in Europe are 3 - 4% of the total population. That is, people of many cultural backgrounds come to live together in a diverse society forming cultural groups that are not equal in power (numerical, economic, or political). Thus in both popular and academic circles, anthropologically-inspired notions of cultural difference have been widely debated (Soriano, et al., 2004) with popular and social science terms such as "mainstream", "minority", "ethnic group", etc. (Berry, 1997) stressing on the fact that xenophobic fears of the ?other' must be overcome (Laachir, 2002) within the framework of culturally diverse societies. Yet, a very limited literature provides debates about the status of immigrants in Europe, witnessing outbreaks of perceived discrimination by a popular imagination of strong concentrations of muslim communities as 'threats to security'. But the researches show that anti-immigration policies result in the empowerment of social solidarity networks reidentified within a system of ethnic and/or belief formations and strong (sometimes violent) resistance. The focus of this study is on how individuals who have developed in one cultural context manage to adapt to new contexts that result from migration (Berry, 1997) as expressed through acculturation strategies. Acculturation is explained with the experiences of the global human community with the aim of preserving different cultures without interfering with the ?smooth functioning of society'. The objective of this study is to develop points of discussion on the analysis of the antecedent conditions of acculturation in terms of causes, processes, changes, and prospects in the case of Turkish immigrants living in Deventer, the Netherlands. The research findings prove the fact that there is an increasing element of ethnic pride among the Turks in Deventer originating from the factor of perceived discrimination as a by product of the new legislation in the European context. While terms such as 'cultural mosaic' is frequently used in political discourses, Turks are still defined as 'immigrant workers' in Deventer and their inclusion in the society is not desired. This situation is perceived as discrimination by the immigrant Turks and reflected as a reaction to the assimilationist perspectives of European cultural interaction policies.