WELL-BEING OF YOUNG PEOPLE FROM DISADVANTAGED TURKISH MIGRANT

BACKGROUND IN GERMANY

Pinar Burcu Güner, University of Bielefeld, Germany

3rd Conference of the International Society for Child Indicators Friday July 29, 2011

Outline of Presentation• Focus of the Research

• Concept of Disadvantage in the Research

• Why to study Youth with Turkish Migration Background in Germany

• Research Questions

• Perspectives

• Theoretical Background: Capability Approach

• Other Theories

• Methods

• Participants, Data Collection & Analysis

• Well-being of Youth from Turkish Migrant Families in Germany

Focus of the Research

• This research examines capabilities of disadvantaged youth with Turkish migration background in Germany to understand their achievement, agency, participation in the public sphere, experienced burdens and well-being (school well-being and educational well-being domains).

• How could education and schools response to challenges of these young people (being disadvantage and inequality) to enhance their capabilities and well-being (in co-operation with other welfare institutes)

Concept of Disadvantage in the Research Analysis shows that immigrants are affected by multiple

deprivations (Popp and Schels, 2006).

World Vision German survey Results

• Immigration is a phenomena in Germany since late 1950s and hosting the biggest migrant population after United States among OECD countries (12 %). Politically Germany defines itself as an immigrant country since the beginning of 2000s. It may be interpreted as immigrant communities are neglected and ignored in German policy and welfare developments.

• In Germany, real situation of insufficient research on children of Turkish origin is actually a situation in which they take an unfair portion of the cake: (Knörr, 2009, P.27)

Why to study Youth with Turkish Migration Background in Germany

Research Questions:Youth as agents in theirown lives and as agents in the assessment of their own capabilities, well-being, experiences and burdens

1. What kind of capabilities do youth from Turkish migration background living in Germany value?

2. How do they relate their needs and values to achievement (in school and outside school)?

3. How is the well-being of these young people related to agency, opportunities, experienced burdens, spaces and options for a good life?

4. What are other informal and non-formal education factors for youth with Turkish migration background to enhance their capabilities and well-being?

- How these Young People are experiencing inequality and disadvantaged in everyday life?

- What are their burdens inside and outside school?- What kind of opportunities they have in school to

enhance their capabilities and wellbeing?- What are the places (spatial) they enjoy being?- What other non-formal and informal education

factors are influincing their education well-being and school well-being?

- What does a good life for them?

Perspectives: from the eyes of Young People

• Amartya Sen• Martha Nussbaum`s Universal List of Capabilites

Theoretical Background: Capability Approach

• Well-being (Andresen & Ben-Asher)

• Instituational discremination (Gomolla & Radtke)

Other Theories to Combine Capability Approach

• Questionnaire for Demographic information (socio-economic)/ survey on capabilities derived from Germany`s indicators for migration and youth.

• Focus Group Discussion about capabilities and well-being.

• Visual methods closing the gap for language barriers (Problems with both mother tongues.)

• Consultation for interview guidelines, interview themes and survey questions with the young people from Turkish migration background.

Methods

Methodology: Focus Groups

Generate large quantities of material from relatively large numbers of people in a relatively short time.

synergetic potentials, focus group often produce data that are seldom produced through individual interviewing and observations and that result in especially powerful interpretive insights.

15-16 years old disadvantaged youth with Turkish immigration background.

Each group maximum eight young people. 1-1.5 hours interview. Youth Group for interpretations. Gender sensitive analysis.

Participants, Data Collection & Analysis

• PISA Results 2000 to 2009• Kinder in Deutchland 2007 and 2010• Deutche Jugend Institute (German Youth

Institute)• Kinderbarometor• Shell Youth Study

Well-being of Youth from Turkish Migrant Families in Germany

Thank you for your kind attention!