Adult Refugees and Asylum Seekers in University Preparation Programs: Competing Identities and Multiple Transitions Manifested in Stigma Consciousness and Student Self-Identification

Abstract

Preparation for university studies is key to enabling adult refugees and asylum seekers to reestablish their educational and professional careers in the host country. While refugees’ transition to higher education (HE) is embedded in multiple transitions regarding social position, educational career, and migration, related identities may compete. We investigate how this is manifested in stigma consciousness and precarious student self-identification and how these factors influence the transition to HE. We combine novel quantitative and qualitative data on refugee students in prestudy programs in Germany. The results show that stigma consciousness impedes student self-identification. Moreover, stigma consciousness moderates the effect of student self-identification on the likelihood of enrolling in university. Qualitative interviews show how refugee students use strategies to deal with the stigma that unfortunately reproduces stigmatizing attributions. We provide implications for further research, educational counseling, and prestudy programs for refugees as an integral part of adult education.