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Choosing to Come Back: Second-Generation Egyptians Returning as Social Change Agents

Research has found that upon visiting their parents’ homeland, second-generation immigrants were able to gain a better understanding of where they came from, allowing them to reflect upon their own lives in respect to their family history (Marschall, 2017). Some researchers call this journey the ‘se...

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Main Author: Khalil, Hajar
Format: Thesis
Published: AUC Knowledge Fountain 2023
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access_status_str Open Access
author Khalil, Hajar
author_browse Khalil, Hajar
author_facet Khalil, Hajar
author_sort Khalil, Hajar
collection Thesis
description Research has found that upon visiting their parents’ homeland, second-generation immigrants were able to gain a better understanding of where they came from, allowing them to reflect upon their own lives in respect to their family history (Marschall, 2017). Some researchers call this journey the ‘self-awakening’ or ‘searching-self’ journey (Christou, 2003). The aim of this research is to understand the process of second-generation Egyptians return journey to their parent(s)’ homeland in order to create social change. The two main questions posed are: 1) How do second-generation Egyptians construct their narrative identity, and 2) How do they conceptualize themselves as social change agents? The life narratives of four second-generation Egyptian returnees who decided to move to Egypt, their parent(s)’ homeland, and partake in social change are explored. Through their narratives it is possible to see the interplay of sociopolitical and historical factors, timing in life, and family, on their decision to move to Egypt, their identity formation, and their understanding of themselves as social change agents. These findings are discussed in terms of their childhood experiences in Egypt, their mothers’ experiences in Egypt, their encounters with their family in Egypt, their identity negotiations, agency, and sense of belonging.
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institution American University in Cairo (Egypt)
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:35:54.296Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from AUC Knowledge Fountain — bepress
publishDate 2023
publishDateRange 2023
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source_str AUC Knowledge Fountain — bepress
spelling oai:fount.aucegypt.edu:etds-3148 Choosing to Come Back: Second-Generation Egyptians Returning as Social Change Agents Khalil, Hajar Research has found that upon visiting their parents’ homeland, second-generation immigrants were able to gain a better understanding of where they came from, allowing them to reflect upon their own lives in respect to their family history (Marschall, 2017). Some researchers call this journey the ‘self-awakening’ or ‘searching-self’ journey (Christou, 2003). The aim of this research is to understand the process of second-generation Egyptians return journey to their parent(s)’ homeland in order to create social change. The two main questions posed are: 1) How do second-generation Egyptians construct their narrative identity, and 2) How do they conceptualize themselves as social change agents? The life narratives of four second-generation Egyptian returnees who decided to move to Egypt, their parent(s)’ homeland, and partake in social change are explored. Through their narratives it is possible to see the interplay of sociopolitical and historical factors, timing in life, and family, on their decision to move to Egypt, their identity formation, and their understanding of themselves as social change agents. These findings are discussed in terms of their childhood experiences in Egypt, their mothers’ experiences in Egypt, their encounters with their family in Egypt, their identity negotiations, agency, and sense of belonging. 2023-06-15T07:00:00Z thesis application/pdf https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2113 https://fount.aucegypt.edu/context/etds/article/3148/viewcontent/Hajar_Khalil_Thesis.pdf Theses and Dissertations AUC Knowledge Fountain Second-generation immigant returnee Egyptian migration narrative identity social change social change agents Community Psychology Migration Studies Multicultural Psychology Politics and Social Change Psychology Social and Cultural Anthropology Social Justice
spellingShingle Second-generation immigant
returnee
Egyptian
migration
narrative
identity
social change
social change agents
Community Psychology
Migration Studies
Multicultural Psychology
Politics and Social Change
Psychology
Social and Cultural Anthropology
Social Justice
Khalil, Hajar
Choosing to Come Back: Second-Generation Egyptians Returning as Social Change Agents
title Choosing to Come Back: Second-Generation Egyptians Returning as Social Change Agents
title_full Choosing to Come Back: Second-Generation Egyptians Returning as Social Change Agents
title_fullStr Choosing to Come Back: Second-Generation Egyptians Returning as Social Change Agents
title_full_unstemmed Choosing to Come Back: Second-Generation Egyptians Returning as Social Change Agents
title_short Choosing to Come Back: Second-Generation Egyptians Returning as Social Change Agents
title_sort choosing to come back second generation egyptians returning as social change agents
topic Second-generation immigant
returnee
Egyptian
migration
narrative
identity
social change
social change agents
Community Psychology
Migration Studies
Multicultural Psychology
Politics and Social Change
Psychology
Social and Cultural Anthropology
Social Justice
url https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2113
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/context/etds/article/3148/viewcontent/Hajar_Khalil_Thesis.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT khalilhajar choosingtocomebacksecondgenerationegyptiansreturningassocialchangeagents