Utrecht University: Mosaic 2.0 grant for research on the transition to adulthood

Ouissam Abattouy, researcher at the Faculty of Social Sciences, has been awarded a Mosaic 2.0 grant from NWO. This allows Abattouy to study the role of immigration background in the transition to adulthood.

The goal of the Mosaic 2.0 grant – which is aimed at graduates with a migration background from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America and Turkey – is to promote an inclusive working environment within Dutch universities.

Choosing between autonomy and relatedness?
The role of immigration background in the transition to adulthood


A successful transition to adulthood is one of the most important predictors of a happy, healthy, and productive life. This transition is not without its challenges. Young people’s needs for autonomy increase and often clash with parents’ views on how much autonomy is appropriate, which can damage the relationship between parents and their children. The clashes may be stronger in families with an immigration background, particularly among daughters. With this project, Ouissam Abattouy provides insight into the sometimes difficult path to achieving a balance between autonomy and relatedness, as well as the socio-cultural contexts in which this path can be more complex.


“It is well known how important the balance between autonomy and relatedness is”, says Abattouy. “But we also know that this becomes more difficult during the transition to adulthood. Especially in families with an immigration background, finding a balance can be more difficult due to various sociocultural factors. However, this has hardly been studied empirically, and that is what I want to change with this grant.”