Attitudes of Different Afghan Immigration Generations Towards the Dutch and Afghan Languages and Cultures

Abstract

Afghans are a minority group in the Netherlands whose linguistic and cultural attitudes have not been studied extensively. Therefore, this thesis’ aim is to fill this research gap by investigating how first- and second-generation Afghan immigrants in the Netherlands perceive their own mother tongue and ethnic culture, and how they perceive the Dutch language and culture. A survey with closed and open questions was conducted, and 51 participants from six different immigration generations answered it. The results demonstrated that most participants have better Dutch language abilities than Afghan abilities, and they use Dutch more often in most social contexts. Moreover, the results demonstrate that both languages are perceived as intellectual, friendly, formal, and modern, but Dutch is reported to sound more direct, whereas Afghan is reported to sound more poetic. Additionally, the Afghan culture is perceived as collectivistic, traditional, and hospitable, whereas the Dutch culture is seen as individualistic, secular, and direct. Also, despite most participants having poorer Afghan language abilities they still identify themselves more as an Afghan person than a Dutch person. The study creates an initial image of the different attitudes that Afghan immigrants from different generations have about their Afghan and Dutch languages and cultures.