Maintaining ties: Russian-speaking communities in Germany and Norway

Authors

  • Ekaterina Bagreeva Plekhanov University of Economics, Russia Author
  • German Mednzheritskiy University of Applied Sciences and Arts Dortmund Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v9i2.26622

Keywords:

adaption, communication, vitality, Russian-speaking migrants,

Abstract

Russian-speaking migrant communities in Germany and Norway share a large part of a common history during the time of the Soviet Union, and each community has developed their unique ways of interaction in and with the accepting society. The article focuses on the main areas for communication between Russian-speaking migrants in Germany and Norway, as well as the wish to maintain contact with ones’ home country. As the question of maintaining ones identity as well as the vitality of these communities is strongly linked to its members’ wish to maintain their common language, these aspects were covered in particular through the study. The article uses a combined research method consisting of a quantitative and qualitative part. The findings indicate that while the groups are different from each other, particularly in their demographic composition, distribution and communication patterns, they do possess some similarities for example having common elements defining and retaining their cultural heritage and approaches towards maintaining the Russian language.

Author Biographies

  • Ekaterina Bagreeva, Plekhanov University of Economics, Russia
    Ekaterina Bagreeva is an Assistant Professor at the Plekhanov University of Economics (Moscow/Russia). She is lecturing in juridical psychology, crosscultural communication, and cultural adaptation. She is also working in Norway as a lecturer and consultant. She publishes about Russian and Norwegian autoand hetero-stereotypes, and quality of life among the Russian-speaking migrants in Europe. Her scholarly interests include the Russian-speaking diaspora in Europe, migrants’ adaptation strategies, and the trilemmatic approach to human behavior.
  • German Mednzheritskiy, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Dortmund
    German Mendzheritskiy is a scientific researcher at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Dortmund/Germany). He publishes about the problems of Russian speaking migrant communities in Germany and Europe, migration, and intercultural interaction. His scholarly interests include the Russian-speaking diaspora in Germany and in Europe, processes of migration, adaptation, and integration, environmental protection, and migration.

Published

2015-09-30

How to Cite

Bagreeva, E., & Mednzheritskiy, G. (2015). Maintaining ties: Russian-speaking communities in Germany and Norway. Sociolinguistic Studies, 9(2-3), 315-334. https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v9i2.26622