Heritage culture maintenance precludes host culture adoption and vice versa

Abstract

A prevalent concern with the integration of Turkish minorities is that large cultural differences hinder integration. Many majority members doubt that Turkish minority members can combine host culture adoption and heritage culture maintenance, although research has shown that most Turkish minority members experience no conflict between these orientations. The present study investigates experimentally whether majority group members perceive Turkish minorities’ host culture adoption and heritage culture maintenance as conflicting orientations. Four hundred and seven Flemish majority members received a vignette that contained information on Turkish minority members’ orientation either towards heritage culture maintenance or towards host culture adoption. Results revealed that Flemish majority members perceive host culture adoption and heritage culture maintenance as conflicting orientations. Manipulating either maintenance or adoption affected Flemish majority members’ perceptions of Turkish minorities’ maintenance and adoption but in opposite directions. These results clarify why many majority group members have doubts concerning the integration of Turkish minorities.