Unity out of diversity? Perspectives on the adaptations of immigrants in Britain

近年来，来到英国定居的移民数量变得越来越重要。随着他们定居下来并生下在英国出生的孩子，这也意味着具有移民背景的英国公民比例也有所增加：2010年，接近30%的英国人口具有移民背景。再加上最近移民的民族起源发生了变化，这也意味着移民的民族构成在过去几十年里也发生了变化，这就提出了关于英国社会的社会凝聚力和群体间关系的重要问题。因此，移民适应水平（移民对英国社会的长期适应，以及社会对此的反应）在各个领域（如教育、经济、社会、文化、政治）已成为政策制定者和公众之间学术探究和辩论的重要话题。然而，对学术、政策和公众对这一现象的看法和理解的文献回顾强调了这样一个事实，即在这些不同领域内和跨领域内，对适应没有统一的理解，无论是在所用的术语方面，还是在涉及英国移民适应的潜在维度数量以及它们相互关联的方式方面。这意味着需要澄清对适应的各种看法和理解中的共性和差异，并试图重新联系这些共性和差异，以便为进一步的学术研究和政策干预建立重要的证据基础。本项目旨在做到这一点，通过使用原始的研究设计，将检查(1)英国学术界移民适应的多维性（通过对当前文献和数据的分析），这将与英国更主观的理解和适应的看法进行对比(2)政策制定者和第三部门利益相关者（通过对政策文件和访谈的分析）；(3)英国人口中的少数和多数群体（通过焦点小组）。这个跨学科和跨领域的项目将以会议报告、学术论文、网站、最终研究报告和研究简报的形式产生产出。该项目将在整个过程中积极寻求学术和非学术的参与，以最大限度地发挥重要和深远的影响。它将提供对英国移民适应研究及其维度的全面和最新的理解，强调维度之间潜在的相互依赖关系，并明确与似乎与所述维度相匹配的理论框架的联系。它还将调查适应维度上的种族和代际差异，为进一步的学术研究和政策提供良好的证据基础。它将突出学术利益攸关方认为重要的适应领域，并在学术界之外进行交流。该项目将寻求以合乎道德和尊重的方式积极吸引公众参与移民适应的讨论，并寻求提高公众对适应的细微差别的认识，从“自下而上”到政府和第三部门利益相关者。这不仅限于项目参与者，还将通过网站、出版物和参与组织的传播努力向更广泛的公众传播。它还将积极让政府和第三部门的利益相关者参与项目的所有阶段，包括在一个综合研讨会上与学术受益者进行讨论，以突出和对比项目前两个阶段的成果。它将通过确定在公众观点和学术研究中重要的适应方面，为制定和改进政策和干预措施提供关键证据和见解。

The number of immigrants coming and settling into Britain has become increasingly important in recent years. As they settled and had British-born children, this also implies that the share of British citizens with some immigration background has also increased: in 2010, close to 30% of the British population had some immigration background. Coupled with a more recent shift in the national origins of the immigrants, this also implies that the ethno-national composition of migrants has also changed in the past few decades, raising important issues with regard to social cohesion and intergroup relations in British society.Hence, the level of immigrant adaptation (the immigrants' long-term adjustment to the British society, and the society's response to it) in various domains (e.g., educational, economic, social, cultural, political) has become an important topic of academic inquiry and debate among policy makers and the public alike. Yet, a review of the literature on the academic, policy, and public perceptions and understandings of the phenomenon highlights the fact that there is no unified understanding of adaptation within and across these different arenas, either with regard to the terminology used or to the underlying number of dimensions encompassing immigrant adaptation in Britain and the way in which they are interrelated. This implies the need to clarify the commonalities and differences in the various perceptions and understandings of adaptation and trying to reconnect those in order to build an important evidence base for further academic research as well as policy intervention.This project aims to do just that, by using an original research design that will examine (1) the multidimensionality of immigrant adaptation in British academia (via an analysis of the current literature and data), which will be contrasted with more subjective understandings and perceptions of adaptation in Britain among (2) policy makers and third-sector stakeholders (via an analysis of policy documents and interviews); and (3) minority and majority groups among the British population (via focus groups). This cross-disciplinary and cross-domain project will produce outputs in the form of conference presentations, academic papers, a website, a final research report and research briefs. The project will seek to actively involve academic and non-academic throughout its duration in order to maximise impact, which will be important and far-reaching. It will provide a thorough and updated understanding of immigrant adaptation research and its dimensionality in Britain, highlighting potential interdependencies between the dimensions and making clear links to the theoretical framework that appears to match said dimensionality. It will also investigate ethnic and generational differences in the dimensionality of adaptation, providing good evidence-base for further academic research and policy. It will highlight areas of adaptation perceived as important by academic stakeholders and communicate it beyond academic circles. The project will seek to actively involve the public in the discussion of immigrant adaptation in an ethical and respectful manner and seek to raise awareness of the nuances in the public's views on adaptation from 'the bottom up' to governmental and third sector stakeholders. This will not only be limited to the project's participants but also to the wider public via the dissemination efforts via the website, publications, and participating organisations. It will also actively involve governmental and third sector stakeholders in all phases of the project, including a discussion with academic beneficiaries in highlighting and contrasting results from the first two stages of the project in an integrated workshop. It will provide key evidence and insights for the formulation and improvement of policy and intervention by identifying aspects of adaptation important in the public's views and in academic research.