PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF SOCIAL IDENTITY TRANSFORMATION IN FORCED MIGRANTS

Abstract

Forced emigration is a complex social and psychological process that significantly affects a person's identity. The loss of the familiar environment, adaptation to a new culture and the need to integrate into a new society lead to changes in the social identity of emigrants. The article examines the psychological mechanisms that determine the transformation of social identity in forced migrants. The key theoretical approaches to the problem of social identity in the context of migration are highlighted, the main cognitive, emotional and behavioral factors that influence identity change are analyzed. It is empirically proved that the adaptation strategy significantly affects the dynamics of social identity: integration contributes to the preservation of positive self-perception, while separation and marginalization increase the risk of psychological distress. The correlations between adaptation strategies and the level of socio-cultural adaptation are analyzed and it is found that integration has the most positive effect. The article notes that marginalization correlates with a low level of adaptation and higher rates of emotional instability and establishes that the level of social support and the presence of interpersonal relationships in the new environment can significantly affect the process of identity transformation. It has been practically verified that the transformation of social identity in forced emigrants is a complex and multifaceted process that includes cognitive adaptation, emotional response, social re-identification and mechanisms for overcoming the identity crisis. For the first time, specific psychological mechanisms of social identity transformation in forced emigrants have been identified, including individual personality traits, the level of social support and the characteristics of the host environment.