Paper Title
Sense of Belonging Developed in Transnational Social Spheres
Abstract
Instances of transnational migration cause immigrants to define new identity and belonging emerging with new references apart from the forms of identity and belonging based on traditional references. The approach of transnationalism argues that immigrants’ ties of belonging are variable. This study, setting out from this approach, focuses on the correlations between transnational social spheres and belonging. This study concerning with Turkish immigrants living in the USA uses qualitative and quantitative research techniques. 511 Turkish immigrants in the USA were given a questionnaire, and then in-depth interviews were held with 26 participants. Thus, it was found in research conducted with participants all of whom were the first generation immigrants that the Turkish immigrants living in the USA highly felt that they belonged in the USA and that they developed ties of belonging.
Keywords - Transnational social spheres, transnational immigrant, belonging, Turks in the USA