Social, cultural and economic capital in the integration of refugees - A case study from the Netherlands.

Abstract

Settling in a new country can be a great challenge for refugees and takes effort from both the refugees and the host-country. This article explores how social, cultural and economic capital influence the integration of refugees in the Netherlands and shows how government funded projects can facilitate this process. Special attention is given to the role of Dutch language proficiency in acquiring these capitals. Using a qualitative approach, a case-study has been conducted at a local organisation in the Netherlands in which 15 participants of a buddy project have been interviewed about their experiences with the project in relation to their integration. Findings reveal that social, cultural and economic capital contribute to each other and that all of them are crucial for a successful integration. Dutch language proficiency appeared to be an important facilitator in this process. An unexpected finding was that the majority of the participants also experienced emotional support through the project, which was highly valued. The article concludes that these kinds of government funded projects are an effective tool for refugees’ integration in the host-country by increasing their social, cultural and economic capital and it contributes to the empowerment of the participants in the project.