The Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study in Norway (CILS-NOR)

Immigrants in Norway come from all over the world and from all walks of life. Many, however, find themselves in the lower parts of the Norwegian socio-economic hierarchy, and many remain distinct from the majority population in terms of religion, cultural orientations and ethnic identities. The long term consequences of immigration will therefore to a large extent be shaped by how their children adapt and become part of the socio-economic structure as well as the social and cultural fabric of society.

• Will they experience upward social mobility through education and work, or will they stagnate in the often marginalized positions of their parents?
• Will they maintain the cultural orientations of their parents’ countries of birth or will they gradually adapt their beliefs and orientations to the surrounding society?
• Will they be accepted as equals by the majority or will they remain excluded from mainstream society?
• And how will the Norwegian society be transformed, as immigrants and their descendants are incorporated into it?

As new generations of ethnically diverse adolescents move into adulthood, investigating the forces that shape their opportunities and adaptations not just in in education, employment, but also in the social and cultural life of Norwegian society is crucial for understanding the challenges of the future, in terms of social cohesion, inequality and sustainability.

In 2016, a baseline survey of adolescents enrolled in their first year of secondary schooling (VG1) was conducted, when most were 16–17 years old. Students in Oslo and Akershus counties, plus selected schools in the nearby city of Drammen was targeted, and the data covers the capital city as well as major adjacent areas and communities. In total, 7627 students filled out the questionnaire. Through personal ID-numbers obtained from school authorities, the survey data was linked with administrative registry data, providing reliable information on demographic, household and economic background variables.

In 2021 and 2022, we will collect information about these same youth, using updated register data and a follow-up survey. While the data from the first module provided comprehensive information about their social situation in adolescence, the second module will focus on the crucial transition into early adulthood, in terms of education, employment and family life.

The CILS-NOR study has been funded by the Norwegian Research Council through two separate projects:

• 2015–2020: CILS-NOR: The Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study in Norway (Module I)
• 2021–2025: Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study in Norway Modul 2: Explaining socioeconomic outcomes and cultural adaptations in early adulthood

The CILS-NOR project is part of a collaborative network to promote comparative research on adaptation and social mobility among children of immigrants, including:

• Alejandro Portes (Princeton University)
• Rosa A. Aparicio (Ortega y Gasset University Institute of Madrid)
• Frank Kalter (University of Mannheim)
• Eva Jaspers (University of Utrecht)
• Antony Heath (University of Oxford)
• Karen Phalet (University of Leuven)
• Gunn Elisabeth Birkelund (University of Oslo)

Affiliated projects:

• IntegrateYouth
• CILS4EU (Children of immigrants longitudinal survey in four European countries)
• ILSEG (The Longitudinal Study of the Second Generation)
• CILS (The Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study)