Arrival

Before diving into societal and cultural integration, it's important to look into the earlier stages of the integration process, starting from arrival to a new country. By taking a look at the first few days or months of being in a new country we are able to see the affects of what happened in that timeframe on immigrants' ability to adjust to a new country. I used Berit Overå Johannesen and Lily Appoh's scholarly article about interactional integration to research about this topic. What I found was that a well-structured introductory program that promoted learning and interaction with society served immigrants well in their first months of arrival. Johannesen and Appoh's “Stories told: integrational processes as experienced by immigrants with African backgrounds living in Norway” highlights the affects of the introductory program for immigrants.  When a family first arrives in Norway, they are required to go through an introductory program in order to help give them a place in work and social life. This program is a result of the Introduction Law passed by the Norwegian government in 2003.  Upon arriving at the Norwegian airport, families are met by a social worker who serves as an introductory program advisor. The advisor then takes them to their temporary home, usually an apartment, and gives them basic needs such as weather gear and meal ingredients. As far as the program itself goes,  participants are assessed on their work and education experiences in order to  determine goals for job placement. They are also required to take a langauge and social studies course to improve fluency in Norwegian and societal awareness.  Participants in the program noted that these components of the program helped them better adjust to Norwegian society. They also found that they were able to gain personal interaction with native Norwegians through their advisors and teachers. The structure of this program helps immigrant families set goals for what their future in Norway will look like and the steps that need to be taken to attain it.  The program's resources also supplement these goals. Providing a temporary living space for families delays the urgrency of finding and maintaining housing arrangements, while Norwegian languge and culture classes help families successfully interact with society. Several families noted that upon completion of the program they had found a permanent home and secure jobs, and were beginning to participate in society through things such as hobbies and religious affiliations. Overall this program greatly benefited the families presented in the article,  and gave them a structured way to integrate to society. It helps to slightly mitigate the sesne of being overwhelmed by a new society and the task of having to find a place to live, work, and thrive all while learning the country's language and culture.