DOCSLIB.ORG

Addressing Cultural Issues in Grief Counseling with Immigrants: the Case of a Bereaved Filipino Family Following Homicide

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Addressing Cultural Issues in Grief Counseling with Immigrants: the Case of a Bereaved Filipino Family Following Homicide The European Journal of Counselling Psychology ejcop.psychopen.eu | 2195-7614 Special Thematic Section on "Social Justice Issues for Counselling Psychologists in Greece" Addressing Cultural Issues in Grief Counseling With Immigrants: The Case of a Bereaved Filipino Family Following Homicide Ioanna Giannopoulou* ab, Paraskevi Bitsakou b, Eleftheria Ralli b, Fedon Chatzis b, Danai Papadatou ab [a] Kapodistrian & National University of Athens, Athens, Greece. [b] Merimna Childhood Bereavement Counselling Centre, Athens, Greece. Abstract This article discusses cultural considerations and approaches to working with bereaved immigrants who cope with traumatic loss. A clinical case is used to elaborate on issues related to cultural identity, level of acculturation as well as religious beliefs and rituals among Filipinos living in Greece. Considerations for clinicians, who provide services to culturally diverse families that experience traumatic deaths, are discussed. Keywords: bereavement, homicide, Filipino family, spirituality, traumatic grief The European Journal of Counselling Psychology, 2018, Vol. 7(1), 200–210, doi:10.5964/ejcop.v7i1.149 Received: 2017-06-29. Accepted: 2018-08-01. Published (VoR): 2018-10-31. Handling Editors: Kalliope Kounenou, Department of Education, School of Pedagogical and Technological Education, Herakleion, Greece; Maria Malikiosi-Loizos, School of Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece *Corresponding author at: 2nd Department of Psychiatry, Attikon University Hospital, Rimini 1, 12462 Athens, Greece. Fax: +30 210 5326453, Tel: +302105832426. E-mail: [email protected] This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Greece has been traditionally an emigration country but this has changed during the last three decades, by an increased inflow of legal and irregular migrants, and asylum seeker refugees. As from the beginning of the 1990s, Greece started receiving large inflows of immigrants from Albania. The 2011 census (Hellenic Statistical Authority, 2011), indicates an ethnically diverse population of migrants including immigrants originating mostly from countries of Europe and Asia. The 2012 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report on international migration trends estimated the total of all foreigners among the Greek popula- tion at 7.1% (OECD, 2012). According to the 2011 national census, Filipinos comprise a small community ac- counting for 1.08% of the country’s total immigrant population. More specifically, 9,807 Filipinos were registered living in Greece, of whom 9,616 (98.1%) were holders of a valid stay permit and 9,115 (95%) worked legally in Greece, thus, paying their health insurance (Triandafyllidou, 2014). Of Filipinos working in Greece, 2.2% are in industry, 1.1% in agriculture, 0.7% in construction, 8.3% in trade and tourism, and the remaining (87.7%) in oth- er occupations (e.g. household service; Embassy of the Philippines, Athens, Greece, Republic of the Philippines, 2017). Giannopoulou, Bitsakou, Ralli et al. 201 Large influxes of asylum seeking refugees and irregular migrants, who view Greece as the main gateway to Europe, created a humanitarian crisis in 2015. More than one million crossed the Greek borders and headed for central and northern Europe. However, after the closing of the Balkan route in February 2016, and the Euro- pean Union–Turkey refugee agreement in March 2016, arrivals by sea have significantly decreased but still an approximate number of 40,000 asylum seekers (and/or irregular migrants) are stranded in Greece waiting, ei- ther to relocate or indeed integrate in the country (Triandafyllidou & Mantanika, 2016). The increasing phenomenon of cultural diversity requires that mental health practitioners acquire knowledge and understanding on how cultural issues affect responses and meanings attributed to loss, adversity, and life experiences. These may significantly differ from the clinician’s. Cultural, religious and spiritual beliefs affect be- reavement, and, as a result, clinical assessment of a person’s grief should always consider individual, family, social, and religious factors, including the client’s level of acculturation. Such in depth exploration shapes the professional’s approach and choice of interventions as to address the person’s or family’s needs (Brutus, 2009). The available literature on the support of traumatically bereaved Filipino families, comprising first- and second- generation immigrants, is sparse. Only a few articles and unpublished dissertations explore how spirituality in- fluence the way individuals construct meaning(s) of life events and cope with life challenges, including the loss of a loved one (Macabulos, 2015; Shimabukuro, Daniels, & D’Andrea, 1999). The present paper seeks to contribute to the bereavement literature in three distinct ways: (a) by presenting a short overview of the key issues that clinicians must bear in mind when working with bereaved immigrant adults, adolescents and young children, (b) by describing a clinical case of a Filipino family that sought grief counseling after the homicide of a senior family member (due to confidentiality, all names have been changed), and (c) by sharing some of the challenges in providing support to this population. Cultural Identity Culture, according to sociologists and anthropologists, refers to the “social heritage of a community”, that is the sum total of the possessions, ways of thinking and behavior, which distinguishes one group of people from an- other and is passed down from generation to generation (Parkes, Laungani, & Young, 2015). Identity refers to one's perception of self or how one views self as unique from others. Racial, cultural, and ethnic identities form part of one's identity, and that identity changes with development both at a personal and social level, including migration and acculturation (Bhugra, 2004a, 2004b). A person’s cultural identity is affected by one’s religion (spiritual beliefs and rituals), rites of passage, language, history, dietary habits and leisure activities (e.g. music). These components ensure the person’s belonging to his or her culture while living in a different cultural context, and may or may not change during the acculturation process (Bhugra, 2004a). Acculturation is a multidimensional reciprocal and dynamic process resulting from the interaction of a migrant’s culture of origin with the culture of a new homeland, and refers to the changes in cultural values, customs, be- liefs, attitudes, language and behaviors that result from constant intercultural contact (Berry, 1997). It has been proposed that two independent dynamics underlie acculturation: one is focused on cultural maintenance of the heritage culture, and the second involves the interaction with the culture of the host society (Berry, Phinney, The European Journal of Counselling Psychology 2018, Vol. 7(1), 200–210 doi:10.5964/ejcop.v7i1.149 Cultural Issues in Grief Counseling With Immigrants 202 Sam, & Vedder, 2006). According to this model, minority group members have either strong or weak identifica- tions with their own or mainstream cultures, thus, giving rise to at least four types or modes of adaptation: as- similation, integration, separation and marginalization. The social and cultural qualities of one’s identity are typi- cally more resistant to change and are usually last to adjust during acculturation (Bhugra et al., 1999). The level of acculturation reflects the degree to which an individual adheres to the cultural norms of the dominant society, whereas, the level of enculturation refers to the degree to which people retain the norms of their culture of ori- gin (Kim & Omizo, 2006). Cultural Issues in Bereavement Each culture has its own traditions, rituals and ways of expressing grief and mourning. It is important for clini- cians to understand the religious and spiritual beliefs about death, as well as the cultural background of their clients, in order to foster empathic understanding. Knowledge of beliefs about death, as well as of burial cus- toms, funeral and mourning practices aiming at honouring, respecting, and remembering the deceased, are all aspects of paramount importance that guide assessment and choice of therapeutic interventions (Neimeyer, Klass, & Dennis, 2014). It must be born in mind that all individuals belonging to the same culture or religious group are not “similar” and do not necessarily share identical values, life styles, or socio-economic and educa- tional backgrounds, nor abide to the same beliefs, rituals, and practices. Level of acculturation should be con- sidered, as this may be an added stressor throughout bereavement. Research findings suggest that higher lev- els of reported “acculturative” stress (i.e. the distress effects of adapting to a new culture) are associated with decreased quality of life, including physical and mental health well-being (Belizaire & Fuertes, 2011). Beliefs About Death From a Filipino Cultural Perspective Filipino immigrants’ funeral and mourning practices have been influenced by the combination of Christian and animistic beliefs associated to death and afterlife. Memorial rituals vary according to one’s family, economic sta- tus, and level of acculturation to the host country (Shimabukuro et al., 1999).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Albanian Families' History and Heritage Making at the Crossroads of New
    Voicing the stories of the excluded: Albanian families’ history and heritage making at the crossroads of new and old homes Eleni Vomvyla UCL Institute of Archaeology Thesis submitted for the award of Doctor in Philosophy in Cultural Heritage 2013 Declaration of originality I, Eleni Vomvyla confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. Signature 2 To the five Albanian families for opening their homes and sharing their stories with me. 3 Abstract My research explores the dialectical relationship between identity and the conceptualisation/creation of history and heritage in migration by studying a socially excluded group in Greece, that of Albanian families. Even though the Albanian community has more than twenty years of presence in the country, its stories, often invested with otherness, remain hidden in the Greek ‘mono-cultural’ landscape. In opposition to these stigmatising discourses, my study draws on movements democratising the past and calling for engagements from below by endorsing the socially constructed nature of identity and the denationalisation of memory. A nine-month fieldwork with five Albanian families took place in their domestic and neighbourhood settings in the areas of Athens and Piraeus. Based on critical ethnography, data collection was derived from participant observation, conversational interviews and participatory techniques. From an individual and family group point of view the notion of habitus led to diverse conceptions of ethnic identity, taking transnational dimensions in families’ literal and metaphorical back- and-forth movements between Greece and Albania.
    [Show full text]
  • Turkish Migration Conference 2016 Book of Abstracts
    The Migration Conference 2017 Programme and Abstracts Book Compiled by Fethiye Tilbe, Ibrahim Sirkeci, Mehtap Erdogan TRANSNATIONAL PRESS LONDON 2017 The Migration Conference 2017 - Programme and Abstracts Book Compiled by Fethiye Tilbe, Ibrahim Sirkeci, Mehtap Erdogan Copyright © 2017 by Transnational Press London All rights reserved. First Published in 2017 by TRANSNATIONAL PRESS LONDON in the United Kingdom, 12 Ridgeway Gardens, London, N6 5XR, UK. www.tplondon.com Transnational Press London® and the logo and its affiliated brands are registered trademarks. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal. Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to: [email protected] Paperback ISBN: 978-1-910781-68-5 Cover Design: Nihal Yazgan @nihalidea.com Conference website: www.migrationcenter.org CONTENT: SESSIONS AND TIMETABLE Welcome by the chairs ........................................................................................... vi Main Speakers: ...................................................................................................... vii ORGANISING TEAM........................................................................................... ix Conference Chairs .................................................................................................. ix Conference Advisory Committee ...........................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Golf in the Kingdom Is Not a Tries Using the Euro As a Currency in Brussels on July 21, Which Sports Movie
    O C V ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ Bringing the news ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ to generations of ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald Greek Americans c v A wEEKly GREEK AmERICAN PuBlICATION www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 14, ISSUE 722 August 13-19, 2011 $1.50 Golf in The Papandreou Tells EU to Send the Check, Some Germans Balk Kingdom: Big September Looms for Greece as the A Walk Not Pressure Builds to Push Reforms Faster ATHENS – After the unprece - calm markets. He suggested that dented downgrading of the the region should move more Spoiled American economy and reeling quickly to issue Eurobonds, to markets in Europe, Greek Prime impose a financial transaction Minister George Papandreou has tax and to strengthen the Euro - Executive Producer G. reached out to European Union pean Financial Stability Facility leaders, asking them to acceler - (EFSF) fund to prop up weak Stephanopoulos & ate the timetable for sending economies in Greece, Ireland, life-saving loans to Greece, Portugal, Spain and Italy. Papan - More than a Game scheduled for next month and dreou also urged the European beyond that. Papandreou, who leaders to ensure that there By Constantine S. Sirigos had a telephone conversation would be no complications in TNH Staff Writer with European Council President Greece receiving its next loan in - Herman Van Rompuy, also spoke stallment, which will amount to NEW YORK – What does it to European Commission Presi - $11.3 billion due in September, mean when a movie begins with dent Jose Manuel Barroso and and without which Greece can - the declaration: We must make Luxembourg’s Prime Minister not pay its bills.
    [Show full text]
  • Language Distinctiveness*
    RAI – data on language distinctiveness RAI data Language distinctiveness* Country profiles *This document provides data production information for the RAI-Rokkan dataset. Last edited on October 7, 2020 Compiled by Gary Marks with research assistance by Noah Dasanaike Citation: Liesbet Hooghe and Gary Marks (2016). Community, Scale and Regional Governance: A Postfunctionalist Theory of Governance, Vol. II. Oxford: OUP. Sarah Shair-Rosenfield, Arjan H. Schakel, Sara Niedzwiecki, Gary Marks, Liesbet Hooghe, Sandra Chapman-Osterkatz (2021). “Language difference and Regional Authority.” Regional and Federal Studies, Vol. 31. DOI: 10.1080/13597566.2020.1831476 Introduction ....................................................................................................................6 Albania ............................................................................................................................7 Argentina ...................................................................................................................... 10 Australia ....................................................................................................................... 12 Austria .......................................................................................................................... 14 Bahamas ....................................................................................................................... 16 Bangladesh ..................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • View of Integration Support Services in the Country, Focusing on Some Important Examples
    EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL JUSTICE FREEDOM AND SECURITY INTI Project: One-Stop Shop: A New Answer for Immigrant Integration? JLS/2006/INTI/148 Country Report for Greece Author: Dimitris Parsanoglou July 2008 Greek Partner : www.oss.inti.acidi.gov.pt - 2 - Contents 0. Introduction 1. Legal Framework for Immigration 2. Identification of Integration Support Services 3. Identification of Integration Support Services 3.1. Official integration policy 3.2. Integration Support Services 3.3. Joined-up Government and partnerships 3.4. One Stop Shop models 4. Immigrants’ Experiences of Government Services 5. Discussion 6. Recommendations - Report promoted by the Hellenic Migration Policy Institute, Greece - www.oss.inti.acidi.gov.pt - 3 - 0. Introduction Traditionally, Greece has been a country of emigration. In fact, almost two million Greeks emigrated from 1890 to 1974 to countries of Northern America (especially the USA), Oceania and Northwestern Europe. In 1974 though, the migratory balance became positive for Greece, as can be seen in the following table. Table 1: Contribution of natural increase and migration flows to the real increase of the population in Greece (1961-2001) Increase in (net) real Migration Decades Natural increase population flows 1961-1970 380 088 839 425 - 459 337 1971-1980 971 776 637 368 334 408 1981-1990 519 483 272 441 247 042 1991-2000 679 871 21 617 658 254 Source: Manolis Drettakis, “The increase in the population only due to migrants”, Eleftherotypia, 28.03.2001 (in Greek); Manolis Drettakis, “The children of the Diaspora and foreigners are over 5% of pupils”, Syghroni Ekpaidefsi, Vol. 113 (July-August), 2000, 38-44 (in Greek).
    [Show full text]
  • Newsletter Issue No. 01
    VolI No. 01 Quarterly Publication of the Philippine Embassy, Athens Ja n-Ma r 2 0 0 7 ENVOY NOW IN MANILA TO OPEN GREECE’S FIRST EMBASSY 19 February 2007- Philippine Ambassa- Tiglao reported that Greek ship owners dor to Greece Rigoberto D. Tiglao re- are hoping that the Philippines will be ported to the Department of Foreign able to train the many officers and sea- affairs that H.E. George-Chrysostomos men needed to fill up the huge demand Nicolaidis, Ambassador-designate of for such specialized staff in the next the Hellenic Republic to the Philip- several years. Filipino seamen are very pines, arrived 10 February 2007 in Ma- much respected for their skills and in- nila to open Greece’s first Embassy in tegrity by Greek shipping companies, the Philippines. and many Greek ships have Filipinos as Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alberto Romulo The opening of Greece’s resident mis- the majority of their crew. and Ambassador Nicolaidis sion will be a breakthrough in further There also about 20,000 Filipinos living loving values. developing relations between Greece and/or working in Greece, mainly in the Although diplomatic relations between and the Philippines, Ambassador Tiglao capital Athens and in Greek luxury the Philippines and Greece were estab- stated. ships and yachts docked in the adjacent lished way back in 1947, the establish- port city of Piraeus. Both are domi- Filipino officers and staff of about ment of resident missions in Manila nantly Christian countries, with many 7,000 make up the biggest nationality of and in Athens was firmed up only in observers saying that Filipinos and the seamen manning Greek ships, 1987 in a meeting in the United Na- Greeks are strikingly similar in their which constitute the biggest merchant tions headquarters between then Secre- Christian, family-centered, and life- marine fleet in the world today.
    [Show full text]
  • Nationalism, Localism and Ethnicity in a Greek Arvanite Village
    Durham E-Theses THE ONTOLOGY OF DIFFERENCE: NATIONALISM, LOCALISM AND ETHNICITY IN A GREEK ARVANITE VILLAGE MAGLIVERAS, SIMEON,SPYROS How to cite: MAGLIVERAS, SIMEON,SPYROS (2009) THE ONTOLOGY OF DIFFERENCE: NATIONALISM, LOCALISM AND ETHNICITY IN A GREEK ARVANITE VILLAGE, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/248/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 THE ONTOLOGY OF DIFFERENCE: NATIONALISM, LOCALISM AND ETHNICITY IN A GREEK ARVANITE VILLAGE by Simeon S. Magliveras The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published in any form, including electronic and internet, without the author’s prior written consent. All information derived from this thesis must be acknowledged appropriately. Doctor of Philosophy Department of Anthropology Durham University 2009 1 I, the author, declare that none of the material in this Thesis has been submitted previously by me or any other candidate for the degree in this or any other university.
    [Show full text]
  • 2002 Pp~~ , ,1F~+WJ~ Amdra
    9k OJ/eaffi 2002 pp~~ , ,1F~+WJ~ amdra .. (J~ MALACANAN PALACE MANILA MESSAGE My warmest congratulations to the recipients ofthe Year 2002 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas. Time and again, I have acknowledged the vital contributions ofoverseas Filipinos to national development. They have shared their skills and expertise to enable the Philippines to benefit from new developments in science and technology. Remitting more than $48 billion in the last 10 years, they have contributed to our country's economic stability despite numerous crises. Overseas Filipinos have also shown that they are dependable partners, providing alternative sources to augment much-needed resources for education, health, and infrastructure support in the country. We pay tribute to the men and women who have dedicated themselves to uplifting the human condition, those who have advocated the cause of Filipinos worldwide, and who continue to bring pride and honor to the Philippines by their pursuit of excellence. I join the rest of the Filipino Nation in congratulating the nominees and awardees of the Year 2002 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas. By your achievements and accomplishments, you have shown the best in the Filipino. MABUHAYf ,, -ARROYO MANILA 12 December 2002 3 DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PASAYCITY MESSAGE It is with great pride and honor that I congratulate the recipients of the Year 2002 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas. Decades ago, when a series of oil shocks sent our national economy and other economies into a tailspin, the Department of Labor and Employment which I. then headed, managed to create new and exciting frontiers for job generation overseas.
    [Show full text]
  • ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE RESOURCE GUIDE for Washington State K-12 Schools
    ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE RESOURCE GUIDE For Washington State K-12 Schools T h e S t a t e o f W a s h i n g t o n CAPAA C O M M I S S I O N O N A S I A N P A C I F I C A M E R I C A N A F F A I R S 5 0 1 S o u t h J a c k s o n S t , S u i t e 3 0 6 S e a t t l e , W A 9 8 1 0 4 P h o n e : ( 2 0 6 ) 4 6 4 - 5 8 2 0 F a x : ( 2 0 6 ) 4 6 4 - 5 8 2 1 E m a i l : c a p a a @ h a l c y o n ( c o m H t t p : / / w w w ( c a p a a ( w a ( g o v Improving the lives of Asian Pacific Americans ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE RESOURCE GUIDE A Publication By For Washington State K-12 Schools State of Washington Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs Copyright © 2001 Major Sponsors Buty Building, Inc. Lowe’s State of Washington Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises The National Asian American Telecommunications Association Starbucks Coffee The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Title II Funds, Teacher Quality Enhancement, Community Outreach, OSPI University of Washington Department of Asian American Ethnic Studies Washington Education Association Weyerhaeuser Sponsors Asian Pacific American Director’s Coalition Asian Pacific Islander Coalition of Snohomish Eastside Asian Pacific Islanders Filipino American National Historical Society Filipino Community of Seattle India Arts Heritage Society InterIm Community Development Association International Examiner Korean American Professionals Society Organization of Chinese Americans Pacific American Executive Council Seattle Public Schools Wing Luke Asian Museum May 2001 Copyright © 2001.
    [Show full text]
  • Tolerance and Cultural Diversity Discourses and Practices in Greece
    ROBERT SCHUMAN CENTRE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES Tolerance and Cultural Diversity Discourses and Practices in Greece Anna Triandafyllidou and Hara Kouki European University Institute 2012/25 5. New Knowledge Country Synthesis Reports EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE, FLORENCE ROBERT SCHUMAN CENTRE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES Tolerance and Cultural Diversity Discourses and Practices in Greece ANNA TRIANDAFYLLIDOU AND HARA KOUKI EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE ROBERT SCHUMAN CENTRE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES Work Package 5- New Knowledge on Tolerance and Cultural Diversity in France Deliverable 5.1 Country Synthesis Report on Tolerance and Cultural diversity Concepts and Practices © 2012 Anna Triandafyllidou and Hara Kouki This text may be downloaded only for personal research purposes. Additional reproduction for other purposes, whether in hard copies or electronically, requires the consent of the author(s), editor(s). If cited or quoted, reference should be made to the full name of the author(s), editor(s), the title, the research project, the year and the publisher. Published by the European University Institute Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Via dei Roccettini 9 50014 San Domenico di Fiesole - Italy ACCEPT PLURALISM Research Project, Tolerance, Pluralism and Social Cohesion: Responding to the Challenges of the 21st Century in Europe European Commission, DG Research Seventh Framework Programme Social Sciences and Humanities grant agreement no. 243837 www.accept-pluralism.eu www.eui.eu/RSCAS/ Available from the EUI institutional repository CADMUS cadmus.eui.eu Tolerance, Pluralism and Social Cohesion: Responding to the Challenges of the 21st Century in Europe (ACCEPT PLURALISM) ACCEPT PLURALISM is a Research Project, funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Program.
    [Show full text]
  • Ruby Gropas and Anna Triandafyllidou Active Civic
    Ruby Gropas and Anna Triandafyllidou Active Civic Participation of Immigrants in Greece Country Report prepared for the European research project POLITIS, Oldenburg 2005, www.uni-oldenburg.de/politis-europe POLITIS – a European research project Project information POLITIS is short for a research project with the full title: Building Europe with New Citizens? An Inquiry into the Civic Participation of Naturalised Citizens and Foreign Residents in 25 Countries. The European Commission funds the project that mainly seeks to improve our understanding of different factors that promote or inhibit active civic participation of immigrants. A unique project construction is developed that includes workshops with foreign-born students who are recruited as discussants and interviewers. National experts in all 25 EU countries have prepared country reports on the contextual conditions and state of research concerning civic participation of immigrants. These reports can be downloaded from www.uni-oldenburg.de/politis-europe Funding Acknowledgement This research project is funded by the European Commission in the sixth framework, priority 7, Citizens and governance in a knowledge based society. www.cordis.lu/citizens International Coordination and Contact POLITIS Interdisciplinary Center for Education and Communication in Migration Processes (IBKM ) Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg Ammerländer Heerstr. 114-118/ Postbox 2503 26111 Oldenburg [email protected] Partner Organisations: Hellenic Foundation of European and Foreign Policy ( Eliamep ) Athens www.eliamep.gr Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies European University Institute ( EUI ) Florence www.iue.it/RSCAS Churches’ Commission of Migrants in Europe (CCME) Brussels http://www.cec-kek.org/content/ccme.shtml 2 The authors Ruby Gropas and Anna Triandafyllidou ELIAMEP, Vas.
    [Show full text]
  • Part II. New Host Countries
    Part II. NEw HoST CoUNTRIES • CHAPTER 7. GREECE Anna Triandafyllidou and Ifigeneia Kokkali • CHAPTER 8. ITALY Maurizio Ambrosini and Elena Caneva • CHAPTER 9. SPAIN Ricard Zapata-Barrero and Blanca Garcés-Mascareñas • CHAPTER 10. IRELAND Nathalie Rougier and Iseult Honohan • CHAPTER 11. CYPRUS Nicos Trimikliniotis and Corina Demetriou 177 CHAPTER 7. GREECE Anna Triandafyllidou and Ifigeneia Kokkali European University Institute, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Introduction Geographically, Greece is located at the southeastern corner of the European continent, indeed closer to the Middle East, Turkey and the Balkans rather than to what is today defined as the ‘core’ of the Europe, notably countries like France or Germany. This geographic position of Greece at the fringes of the European continent is to a large extent matched by a geopolitically and economically peripheral character of the country within the European Union, despite the fact that the successive enlargements of the EU to the East in 2004 and 2007 have made Greece more central both culturally and politically. The position of Greece however may also be seen as a pivotal one, between East and West. Dominant discourses on Greek national iden- tity reflect a geopolitical and cultural ambivalence between being ‘Western’ and ‘Eastern’ (Roudometof, 1999; Tsoukalas, 1993). Although politically Greece has been firmly anchored in western Europe in the post World War II period, the cultural positioning of Greece remains ambivalent, modern Greek-ness being of but not in Europe (Triandafyllidou, 2002a). While the European-ness of modern Greece has been officially confirmed by its accession to the European Communities (later European Union) in 1981, the geopolitical, cultural and economic relations between Greece and its fellow member states are often fraught with misunderstandings.
    [Show full text]