Migration and Diverse Belongings in a Neighbourhood Context: Population-Based Study of Older Russian-Speaking Migrants in Finland

Belonging is a fundamental human experience that plays a critical role in shaping individuals' connections to their communities. Establishing a sense of belonging to a destination society can be particularly challenging for older migrants. Neighbourhood factors and the broader regional context may influence one's sense of belonging to various communities. However, research exploring how neighbourhood-level factors relate to different types of belonging remains limited. Using data from a population-based study on older Russian-speaking migrants in Finland (n = 1082, 57% men and 43% women; mean age 63.2 years, 36% response rate) and a postal code area database (3036 postal codes on mainland Finland, with an average of 1802 residents and an average area of 112 km²), we examined various types of belonging among Russian-speaking migrants aged 50 years or older and how both individual and neighbourhood-level factors were associated with the types of belonging. Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CATPCA) was employed to study types of belonging, and multilevel regression analysis was used to examine associations between the types and neighbourhood and individual factors that were identified. Three types of belonging were identified: belonging to the majority population, that is, ‘Finns’; belonging to Ingrian Finns; and belonging to Russian speakers. In neighbourhoods with a higher proportion of Russian speakers, belonging to Finns was weaker. Moreover, significant differences in belonging to Russian speakers were observed across regions of Finland. Thus, in regions located near the Finnish–Russian border, belonging to Russian speakers was stronger. Although neighbourhood characteristics were not associated with belonging to Ingrian Finns, individual-level factors, such as being older, receiving income support, and having lower education levels were associated with this type of belonging. Additionally, good command of the local language contributed to belonging to Finns and weakened belonging to Russian speakers.