Acculturation challenges for young Russian migrants in Finland : Contributing to the New Horizons Finland youth game

Abstract

Finland has not escaped the global impact of mass migration and internationalisation. As a result, in recent years the country has begun to address how to foster social inclusion and promote multicultural practices within Finnish society. The New Horizons game project, based in the International Business Degree Programme at JAMK University of Applied Sciences, conducts research and development targeted at enhancing intercultural interactions between host and migrant cultures across Finland. The objective of the present study is to gain insights into the acculturation experiences of Russian migrants in Finland, and to apply those insights in the creation of content for a new youth pack of New Horizons game cards.

A phenomenological research approach forms the research strategy, and data was collected using a qualitative approach in which twelve intensive semi-structured interviews were conducted with young adult Russian migrants in Finland. A rigorous analysis of the data employs a modification of the Stevick-Collaizzi-Keen method to ensure reliability of the research implementation.

By revealing some of the challenges and opportunities associated with the acculturation process, the results provide insights into the socio-cultural adaptation of young Russian migrants to Finnish society. The findings helped to inform the creation by the researcher of content for the New Horizons youth game in Russian cultural contexts. Recommendations about the project’s future developmental direction is provided, along with suggestions for further research and development activities for exploring the presence of Russian migrants in Finland, and for exploring the acculturation processes and strategies of migrant populations.