Cultural and Ethnic Identity of Migrant Workers in Intercontextual and Intergenerational Comparison

The general situation of foreign workers in five large German cities.

Topics: ethnic origin; year of arrival of parents in Germany or personal year of arrival; attendance at day nursery, kindergarten and school in the Federal Republic; length of school attendance; attendance and duration of a special preparation class for foreigners; time of first day at school in regular school; attendance at schools providing all-round education; school degree; proportion of foreigners in the school class; length of native language instruction along with regular instruction; occupation after conclusion of all-round education school. The following questions were posed to persons born in country of origin: regional origin and city size; school attendance and vocational training in country of origin; vocational training; current or last employment practiced; shift work; living together with parents; proportion of foreigners in the building, in the immediate residential surroundings and in the part of town; residence equipped with sanitary facilities; possession durable economic goods; presence of institutions for foreigners in the residential area; parents living in Germany; regional origin of father; school attendance of parents; number of children; number of children living in country of origin; religious practices in parental home and strictness of observing religious rules; educational goals of parents; decision-making structure within the family; reading newspapers from Germany or the country of origin; nutrition habits as in the native country; use of video films and listening to music in German or one´s own language; use of the German language or native language in conversations within the family; frequency of mutual visits with Germans; contacts with Germans, relatives, friends and acquaintances as well as place of residence of these persons; memberships; circle of friends; nationality of friends; frequency of getting together; help from the circle of friends with personal difficulties; cultural milieu in one´s circle of friends; agreement with friends on questions of religion and fashion; conversations about the situation as foreigner in Germany; conversations about religious matters; nationality of colleagues or other students; attitude to assimilation and integration; self-assessment of knowledge of German; knowledge of native language; perception of discrimination (scale); satisfaction with living conditions, school or occupational situation and the housing situation in Germany; identity assimilation; feelings of homelessness and feelings on visits to country of origin; instinctive ties to ethnic groups in country of origin; interest in participation in municipal elections; party preference; postmaterialism index; personal feelings of segregation; personal sympathy for various nationalities or assumed sympathy of the Germans for these nationalities; solidarity with the region, the city as well as the part of town; earlier places of residence; personal religiousness; attendance at a Koran school; sex role orientation; personal wish and plans for return of parents to country of origin; interest in living together with with Germans; personal investments in native country; judgement on one´s own situation in life given a return to country of origin in comparison to the current situation in Germany; number of children; nationality, place of residence and length of stay of spouse in Germany; religious affiliation of spouse; current occupation of spouse; detailed information on circle of friends; degree of relationship and nationality; length of stay in Germany; friends as advisers; language ability of friends; cultural and religious milieu in one´s circle of friends; sex role orientation of friends; identity assimilation of friends and number of contacts with friends; knowledge of events to improve the situation of foreigners or promote understanding of Germans and foreigners; participation in such events; status of residence permit; interest in acquisition of German citizenship; desired measures to improve the situation in life of foreigners in Germany.

Scales: intolerance of ambiguity; anomy; brief German language test.

Demography: age; sex; religious affiliation.

Interviewer rating: length of interview; language ability of respondent; presence of others; disturbances during the interview by other persons; willingness of respondent to cooperate and conduct regarding the interviewer.

Also encoded was: type of building and use of building; condition as well as age of building; industrial companies in vicinity of residential building; sub-unit of part of town; date of interview.