Soviet Jewish Immigrants in Berlin and their Strategies of Adaptation to German Society

Abstract

"Since spring 1990 approximately 5,000 Soviet Jewish immigrants have arrived in Berlin. They are part of a much larger influx to Germany which, to date, lies near 40,000 persons. Based on a three year research project among the immigrant population in Berlin, an analysis is offered of the types of adaptation strategies these immigrants follow in dealing with their new surroundings. Three (pairs of) variables appear to be especially significant in this respect. First of all, the level of compatibility of an immigrant's cultural capital with German society's institutional requirements (e.g. pertaining to labour market access). Secondly, the habitus an immigrant brings along, viz. Soviet cultural elite as compared to Soviet consumer habitus which are closely related to whether the immigrant has a Jewish identity or rather was socialised into the dominant culture. Thirdly, whether the immigrant's motives for emigration were of a conservative or innovative nature. The analysis results in a typology of four adaptation strategies." (author's abstract)