Open Access

Migration and community in an age of digital connectivity: A survey of media use and integration amongst migrants in Iceland

Lara Hoffmann
Lara Hoffmann
, 
Þorlákur Axel Jónsson
Þorlákur Axel Jónsson
 and 
Markus Meckl
Markus Meckl
   | Feb 10, 2022
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Published Online: Feb 10, 2022
Page range: 19 - 37
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/nor-2022-0002
Keywords
© 2022 Respective authors., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Factors of integration for migrants in Iceland

Variable Category Percentage
Income (%) < ISK 200,000 10.2
ISK 200,000–399,000 47.9
ISK 400,000–599,999 29.2
ISK 600,000–899,000 10.3
ISK 900,000–1,119,000   1.4
ISK 1,200,000+     .9
Vote in municipal elections: did not vote (%) – 77.6
Participation in clubs and activities: does not participate (%) – 71.3
Social contact with Icelanders (continuous 0–6, mean as % of max value) – 56.5
Social media contact with Icelanders (%) Less than daily or almost daily 64.8
Daily or almost daily 35.2
Use of Icelandic media (%) Less than daily or almost daily 68.7
Daily or almost daily 31.3
Experiences of discrimination (continuous 0–24, mean as % of max value) – 27.2
Trust in institutions in Iceland (continuous 0–20, mean as % of max value) – 58.5
Opinion about public discussion on migrants in Iceland (%) Too positive   5.4
Somehow too positive 19.7
Neither too positive nor too negative 48.1
Somehow negative 23.3
Too negative   3.6
Overall satisfaction with life in municipality (%) Unsatisfied or neutral 31.1
Satisfied 68.9

Binomial logistic regression (enter) of social media contact with people from country of origin

Variable Category B (SE) OR 95% CI
Gender: Female* – .33 (.13) 1.38 1.08–1.78
Age (reference: 41–66 years) 18–25 years .00 (.21) 1.00   .66–1.52
26–40 years -.21 (.14) .81   .61–1.07
World region of origin (reference: Western Europe, Nordic Countries, or North America) Central or Eastern Europe -.05 (.15) .95   .71–1.27
Other .17 (.21) 1.18   .79–1.77
Length of residence in Iceland (reference: 11–20 years) < 1 year** .83 (.25) 2.30 1.42–3.77
1–2 years .44 (.20) 1.55 1.05–2.30
3–5 years .30 (.19) 1.35   .94–1.95
6–10 years .04 (.18) 1.05   .74–1.47
20+ years -.32 (.31) .73   .39–1.34
Intended length of residence (reference: 20+ years) < 1 year .24 (.26) 1.27   .76–2.14
1–2 years .29 (.21) 1.33   .88–2.01
3–5 years .10 (.17) 1.10   .79–1.54
6–10 years .20 (.19) 1.22   .84–1.77
11–20 years -.09 (.20) .91   .62–1.35
Education (reference: University degree) Primary school -.67 (.32) .51   .28–.96
Vocational training .24 (.19) 1.27   .87–1.85
Matriculation exam -.12 (.14) .87   .68–1.16
Other exam .22 (.28) 1.24   .72–2.14
Income (reference: ISK 200,000–399,000) < ISK 200,000 -.22 (.20) .80   .54–1.20
ISK 400,000–599,000 -.04 (.13) .96   .74–1.24
ISK 600,000–899,000 -.23 (.20) .79   .54–1.17
ISK 900,000–1,199,000 .28 (.51) 1.32   .49–3.55
ISK 1,200,000+ -.98 (.74) .38   .09–1.60
Vote in municipal elections (reference: voted) – -.05 (.17) .95   .68–1.32
Participation in clubs and activities (reference: participating)** – -.38 (.13) .69   .53–.89
Social contact with Icelanders*** – -.14 (.03) .87   .82–.93
Social contact with Icelanders on social media (reference: almost daily)*** – 1.64 (.13) 5.18 4.01–6.69
Use of Icelandic media (reference: almost daily) – .09 (.13) 1.09   .85–1.41
Experiences of discrimination – .02 (.01) 1.00   .98–1.03
Trust in institutions in Iceland – .03 (.01) 1.00   .98–1.03
Opinion on discussion on migrants (reference: too negative) Too positive -.28 (.39) .75   .35–1.61
Somehow too positive -.25 (.33) .78   .40–1.49
Neither nor -.28 (.31) .75   .41–1.39
Somehow negative -.33 (.32) .93   .39–1.20
Satisfaction with life in municipality (reference: satisfied) – -.07 (.13) .93   .72–1.20
Intercept – -.06 (.48) .95
Model χ 2 (df)*** – 259.5 (36)
R2 (Nagelkerke) – .20
R2 (Cox and Snell) – .15

Background information of survey respondents

Variable Category Percentage
Gender Female 66.5
Age 18–25 years 12.5
26–40 years 58.5
41–66 years 29.0
World region of origin Western Europe, Nordic Countries, or North America 21.9
Central or Eastern Europe 65.3
Other 12.7
Time of residence in Iceland < 1 year   9.5
1–2 years 21.2
3–5 years 22.2
6–10 years 18.6
11–20 years 24.3
20+ years   4.2
Intended time of residence < 1 year   5.3
1–2 years   9.8
3–5 years 16.6
6–10 years 11.1
11–20 years   8.9
20+ years 48.2
Education Primary school   4.0
Vocational training 12.2
Matriculation exam 30.7
University degree 48.7
Other   4.5

Country-of-origin social media contact and media use by migrants in Iceland

Question Daily or almost daily Less than daily or almost daily
Social media contact with people from country of origin (%) 49.4 50.6
Social media contact with people from country of origin living in Iceland (%) 33.6 66.4
Use of media from country of origin (%) 50.8 49.2

Binomial logistic regression (enter) of social media contact with people from country of origin living in Iceland

Variable Category B (SE) OR 95% CI
Gender (reference: female) – .17 (.14) 1.18   .90–1.56
Age (reference: 41–66 years) 18–25 years .15 (.23) 1.16   .74–1.80
26–40 years -.07 (.15) .93   .69–1.26
World region of origin (reference: Western Europe, Nordic Countries, or North America) Central or Eastern Europe*** .95 (.17) 2.59   .71–2.97
Other** .62 (.24) 1.87 1.85–3.63
Length of residence in Iceland (reference: 11–20 years) < 1 year -.64 (.27) .53 0.31–.89
1–2 years*** -.82 (.22) .44   .29–.68
3–5 years** -.57 (.20) .57   .38–.84
6–10 years -.37 (.18) .69   .48–1.00
20+ years -.30 (.35) .74   .38–1.47
Intended length of residence (reference: 20+ years) < 1 year -.22 (.29) .81   .45–1.43
1–2 years -.31 (.24) .74   .46–1.75
3–5 years .27 (.19) 1.31   .91–1.89
6–10 years -.16 (.21) .85   .56–1.30
11–20 years -.17 (.21) 1.18   .78–1.79
Education (reference: University degree) Primary school .06 (.33) 1.06   .56–2.03
Vocational training** .63 (.20) 1.88 1.26–2.80
Matriculation exam .14 (.15) 1.15   .86–1.53
Other exam -.25 (.33) 0.78   .41–1.49
Income (reference: ISK 200,000–399,000) < ISK 200,000 -.46 (.20) 0.63   .40–.97
ISK 400,000–599,000 -.24 (.14) 0.79   .60–1.05
ISK 600,000–899,000 -.19 (.21) 0.83   .55–1.26
ISK 900,000–1,199,000 .54 (.51) 1.71   .63–4.62
ISK 1,200,000+ -20.41 (.74) .00   .00
Vote in municipal elections (reference: voted)* – -.39 (.18) .68   .47–.97
Participation in clubs and activities (reference: participating) – -.15 (.14) .86   .65–1.15
Social contact with Icelanders*** – -.17 (.04) .85   .79–.90
Social contact with Icelanders on social media (reference: almost daily)*** – 2.06 (.14) 7.83 5.93–10.3
Use of Icelandic media (reference: almost daily) – -.08 (.14) .92   .69–1.21
Experiences of discrimination – -.01 (.02) .99   .96–1.02
Trust in institutions in Iceland – -.01 (.02) .99   .96–1.02
Opinion on discussion on migrants (reference: too negative) Too positive .20 (.42) 1.22 0.53–2.78
Somehow too positive -.09 (.37) .92 0.45–1.90
Neither nor -.06 (.35) .95 0.48–1.87
Somehow negative -.09 (.35) .91 0.46–1.81
Satisfaction with life in municipality (reference: satisfied) – -.04 (.14) .96 0.72–1.27
Intercept – -.87 (.53) .42
Model χ2 (df)*** – 331.7 (36)
R2 (Nagelkerke) – .26
R2 (Cox and Snell) – .19

Binomial logistic regression (enter) of use of media from country of origin

Variable Category B (SE) OR 95% CI
Gender: female** – -.29 (.13) .75   .58–.95
Age (reference: 41-66 years) 18–25 years*** -1.01 (.21) .37   .24–.55
26–40 years*** -.62 (.14) .54   .41–.71
World region of origin (reference: Western Central or Eastern
Europe, Nordic Countries, or North America) Europe -.12 (.15) .89   .67–1.18
Other -.35 (.21) .71   .47–1.06
Length of residence in Iceland (reference: 11–20 years) < 1 year** -.81 (.25) .45   .27–.73
1–2 years*** -.96 (.20) .39   .26–.57
3–5 years** -.63 (.19) .53   .37–.77
6–10 years** -.53 (.17) .59   .42–.83
20+ years** -.87 (.31) .42   .23–.76
Intended length of residence (reference: 20+ years) < 1 year .51 (.26) 1.67 1.01–2.76
1–2 years .38 (.21) 1.47   .98–2.20
3–5 years** .58 (.17) 1.79 1.28–2.50
6–10 years** .52 (.19) 1.68 1.15–2.44
11–20 years .20 (.20) 1.22   .83–1.80
Education (reference: University degree) Primary school -.10 (.30) .90   .50–1.63
Vocational training -.04 (.19) .96   .66–1.40
Matriculation exam -.10 (.14) .90   .69–1.18
Other exam -.50 (.28) .61   .35–1.05
Income (reference: ISK 200,000–399,000) < ISK 200,000 .02 (.20) 1.02   .69–1.52
ISK 400,000–599,000 .05 (.13) 1.05   .82–1.36
ISK 600,000–899,000 -.06 (.19) .94   .64–1.37
ISK 900,000–1,199,000 .16 (.47) 1.18   .47–2.97
ISK 1,200,000+ -.21 (.69) .81   .21–3.11
Vote in municipal elections (reference: voted) – -.32 (.17) .73   .53–1.01
Participation in clubs and activities (reference: participating)*** – -.47 (.13) .63   .49–.81
Social contact with Icelanders*** – -.12 (.03) .89   .83–.94
Social contact with Icelanders on social media (reference: almost daily) – .10 (.12) 1.02   .87–1.4
Use of Icelandic media (reference: almost daily)*** – 1.11 (.13) 3.03 2.34–3.93
Experiences of discrimination – .02 (.01) 1.02   .99–1.05
Trust in institutions in Iceland – -.02 (.01) .98   .95–1.01
Opinion on discussion on migrants (reference: too negative) Too positive -.15 (.38) 0.86   .41–1.81
Somehow too positive .18 (.33) 1.19   .63–2.26
Neither nor -.14 (.31) .87   .48–1.60
Somehow negative -.25 (.31) .78   .43–1.44
Satisfaction with life in municipality (reference: satisfied) – -.01 (.13) .99   .77–1.28
Intercept*** – 1.71 (.48) 5.53
Model χ2 (df)*** – 223.6 (36)
R2 (Nagelkerke) – .17
R2 (Cox and Snell) – .13
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