Different orientations of adaptation of males and females: a study among second-generation Afghans in Iran

Rasoul Sadeghi, University of Tehran
Mohammad J. Abbasi-Shavazi, University of Tehran and Australian National University
Nasibeh Zanjari, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences

The paper examines gender differences in adaptation patterns among the second-generation Afghans in Iran. The data is drawn from the survey on ‘the Adaptation of Second-Generation Afghan Youth in Iran’ that was conducted in Tehran and Mashhad in 2010, and covered 520 Afghan youth in the two cities. The results showed the gendered processes of ethnic identity formation and adaptation strategies. Afghan females acculturated and assimilated into the Iranian society at a quicker pace than males. Conversely, males reported greater separation and marginalization mode. Multivariate analysis revealed that after taking into account different demographic and contextual variables, the effect of gender on adaptation patterns remained significant. This confirms the critical role that gender plays in the adaptation process of immigrants in new contexts.