Identity Negotiation in the Context of International Migration : The Case of Moroccan-Origin Youth in Belgium

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21268995

Keywords:

international migration, identity, youth, negotiation

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of the international migration experience on the process of identity formation among youth of Moroccan origin—the children and grandchildren of Moroccan immigrants in Belgium—conceived as a negotiated identity arising from the interaction between the "original" cultural heritage transmitted across generations, on the one hand, and the socioeconomic challenges and integration difficulties within the host society, on the other. These youth confront dual cultural influences that compel them to seek a balance between the social roles and cultural expectations associated with their country of origin and those linked to their country of birth and settlement—a situation that draws them into psycho-social negotiations throughout the process of constructing or reconstructing their cultural identities. The paper employs a theoretical framework grounded in Identity Negotiation Theory, and Social Identity and Self-Categorization Theory. Methodologically, it draws on the tools and techniques afforded by both quantitative and qualitative approaches for the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, with the aim of uncovering the strategies of negotiation surrounding the religious and national identity of youth of Moroccan origin in Belgium.

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Published

2026-06-30

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 2 (2026): At the Intersections of Identity, Space, and the Body: Readings in the Dialectic of the Structural and the Subjective

Section

علم الاجتماع والسياسات الاجتماعية

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

تُنشر جميع الأبحاث في مجلة آفاق بحثية متعددة التخصصات في العلوم الاجتماعية والإنسانية بموجب رخصة المشاع الإبداعي نسب المصنف 4.0 دولي (CC BY 4.0).

وتسمح هذه الرخصة بما يلي:

  • نسخ العمل وإعادة توزيعه بأي وسيلة أو صيغة.

  • تعديل العمل أو تطويره أو البناء عليه.

  • استخدام العمل لأغراض غير تجارية أو تجارية.

وذلك شريطة:

  • الإشارة الواضحة إلى اسم المؤلف/المؤلفين.

  • ذكر اسم المجلة كمصدر للنشر الأصلي.

  • إدراج رابط الرخصة.

  • بيان ما إذا تم إجراء أي تعديلات على العمل.

  • عدم الإيحاء بوجود تأييد من المجلة أو المؤلف لأي استخدام لاحق.

تظل حقوق النسبة الأدبية محفوظة للمؤلفين وفق القوانين المعمول بها.

How to Cite

Identity Negotiation in the Context of International Migration : The Case of Moroccan-Origin Youth in Belgium. (2026). Afaq Research Horizons, 1(2), 16-48. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21268995

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