Migration and Identity 3700-ISSC-23-MID
Living in a postmodern society requires a constant negotiation of identity. The question of „who am I" becomes inevitable in the context of Poland becoming an immigration country, the formation of multicultural societies and supranational structures. Borders and territories are becoming less and less significant in shaping us, and the importance of interactions and forms of communication at the personal and intercultural levels is growing. Both, by going abroad and staying in one place, our identity changes under the influence of migration. While more and more people of different nationalities are settling in Poland, our relationship towards them is being shaped, we are gaining new beliefs and opinions about the phenomenon of migration, and thus migration affects how we define our views and in a way ourselves. Identity is a dynamic, socially constructed concept sensitive to changes. On the one hand, it is a permanent set of characteristics of an individual or a group, and on the other hand, it is a result of relationships to others.
The situation of migration requires a natural change of some aspects of our identity. When faced with a new reality, one can experience the situation they were not prepared for. Surrounded by an unknown language and foreign cultural norms, we search for places and people that make us feel comfortable and like “at home”. Emigration is not only the process of moving and settling in a new place. It is also a work on your identity. Often, it makes us more aware of what has shaped us, like our cultural background and norms, family and friends. We long for people and customs we left behind in our hometowns. At the same time noticing what we no longer need, what limited us and what was a burden for us. Thus, we have a chance to re-arrange our lives in our own ways. This process of change may be very difficult but consciously or not we experience a personality transformation, which, in the end, is valuable and life-changing for many migrants. Nevertheless, during the first years of migration many of them encounter a sense of loss of social structures, cultural values and self-identity. Moreover, often, they are being discredited by race, ethnicity or religion. At the same time, locals impose new identities on them. Thus, migrants are forced to negotiate their boundaries while navigating within various social networks and circumstances. Some of them develop related strategies. For others, a sense of loss, a lack of belonging or a cultural mismatch can cause grief, can lead to an identity crisis and even depression. How and who they feel in a new place shapes the identity of the next generations. Depending on whether and what image of ethnicity they transfer to their children, these can develop a strong or weak ethnic minority identity. They may as well have a strong identity with both the parents’ host and home countries. The way in which their identities develop can affect the economic and social dimensions of their lives. And this is one of the reasons studying identities is important for the societies we live in.
How to answer the "Who am I" question? How migration affects one's self without even leaving one's country? Do immigrants identify with the culture and values of the country in which they settle in? Does the country identify with their beliefs? And why is it even worth researching identity? In times of increased forced migrations to Poland and economic as well as lifestyle migration from Poland, posing these questions and reflecting on identity seems socially relevant not only for our well-being but also for the well-being of new inhabitants of our country, city or neighborhood.
Our collective and individual identities are changing, and we surround ourselves with an increasing number of stimuli that influence it. The way identity changes affects various areas of our lives, including public debate. The aim of the classes is to explain this phenomenon, so that students can freely use the sociological terminology related to the concept of identity and migration as well as take an active part in the public debate related to it. In order to prepare students to conduct research on identity, their task will be to prepare their own research project.
Type of course
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
a. Knowledge
An alumni:
K_W02 - have a deep understanding of the relationships between various dimensions of social change, especially with regard to mobility and crises. I am well-versed in the approaches to this process related to many scientific fields and disciplines.
K_W04 - have a solid grasp of the terminology used in social sciences and understand their role in culture.
b. Abilities:
An alumni:
K_U01 - possess the ability to evaluate information from a variety of sources, including scientific, journalistic, and popular science
K_U02 - have a strong understanding of basic numerical methods, enabling you to organize, interpret, and present data, particularly in the context of social research.
K_U06 - capable of presenting the results of your individual or team academic work in a well-structured and persuasive manner, whether in written or oral form
c. Social competences:
An alumni:
K_K02 - is able to work in team - also in a research team.
Assessment criteria
- Class participation (60%)
- Research project and presentation (40%)
Absence limit: 2
If student exceeds 50% of missed classes, she/he needs to retake the class
Bibliography
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Kaja Kazmierska (2003). Migration Experiences and Changes of Identity. The Analysis of a Narrative [48 paragraphs]. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 4(3), Art. 21, http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0303215.
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Berlin. German Politics and Society, 24(4), 95 -121.
Bockmeyer, J., (2006). “Social cities and social inclusion. Assessing the role of
Turkish residents in building the New Berlin”, German Politics and Society, 24(4), 49 - 76.
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Rumbaut, R. Segmented Assimilation among Children of Immigrants. International Migration Review 28 (4): 748–794.
Gendered Geographies of Power: Analyzing Gender Across Transnational Spaces Sarah J. Mahler & Patricia R. Pessar Published online: 04 May 2010.
Garapich M., Between Cooperation and Hostility – Constructions of Ethnicity and Social Class among Polish Migrants in London, Studia Sociologica IV (2012), vol. 2, p. 31–45
Urbańska S. (2016). Transnational Motherhood and Forced Migration. Causes and Consequences of the Migration of Polish Working-Class Women 1989–2010. Central and Eastern European Migration Review 5(1): 109-128.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: