Immigrants' Adaptation and Place Identity: Relationships and Moderators (Case Study: Immigrants Resided in Isfahan City)

Document Type : case study

Authors

• Raana Shaykh-Baygloo ¹
• Zahra Soltani ²

¹ Assistant Professor in Geography and Urban Planning, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

² Assistant Professor in Geography and Rural Planning, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/jgrd.2021.67210.0

Abstract

Migration, with whatever intention and goal, is a process which requires certain steps, one important of which is the adaptation to the destination environment and community. In the adaptation process, immigrants' behavioral patterns change, and some main aspects of their personal identity are affected. Explaining the extent and type of immigrants' adaptation to the conditions of the new environment can be effective in clarifying many phenomena related to the migration. With this in mind, the paper investigates the effect of different dimensions of adaptation on place identity using a sample of 385 immigrants from other urban and rural settlements living in Isfahan and examines the moderating role of some variables. The analysis of the data was carried out using various statistical tests, applying SPSS software and process extension. The results of one-sample t-test showed that the mean value of three variables of immigrants' adaptation including psychological, social and environmental adaptation was above average level (p-value < 0.001). The results of regression analysis showed that adaptation would positively and significantly influence place identity, in such a way that 52 percent of the variance of immigrants' place identity would be explained by psychological, environmental and social adaptation. Based on the findings, the variables of education and length of residence play a moderating role regarding the relationship between environmental adaptation and immigrants' place identity. However, the moderating role of the variables of gender, age and provincial origin of migration in the relationship between different dimensions of adaptation and spatial identity of migrants was not confirmed.

Keywords

• Migration
• Adaptation
• Place identity
• Isfahan Metropolis

20.1001.1.20081391.1400.19.1.4.1

Main Subjects

• Planning in urban and rural areas

References

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