Conflicts of Norms and Violence: Descriptions and explanations of the situation and behaviour of minor emigrants from the former Soviet Union (FSU) in Germany and Israel – a qualitative interview study.

This study report describes the background and data colletion process for the study "Conflicts of Norms and Violence" (CONAV). The overarching aim of the research group that conducted this study was to identify and understand the meaning violence holds among adolescent immigrants from the former Soviet Union who have immigrated to Israel and Germany – specifically what they perceive as both inciting them to violence and protecting them from violence. Two immigrant groups were studied: young Russian Jewish immigrants in Israel and young ethnic German immigrants from the former Soviet Union in Germany. The research design aimed on studying the common aspects and differences among and between both populations.
Combining narrative-biographical and problem-centered interviews, the study explored the youths' experiences of socialization in the authoritarian, repressive societies they migrated from, as well as their integration processes and encounters with control institutions in the receiving societies.
In Germany, interviews were conducted with 40 male respondents, aged 14 to 20 years, who had residency durations ranging from 2 to 9 years. Additionally, 9 male inmates, aged 18 to 23 years, were interviewed in prison. In Israel, 40 male respondents, aged 15 to 18 years, were interviewed. At the Research Data Centre Qualiservice, all transcripts are achived and available for scientific secondary use.