Beyond ‘us’ and ‘them’: Migrant encounters with difference and reimagining the national
In an era of accelerated international mobility, individuals have increased opportunities to confront values, practices and discourses linked to their national belonging with lifestyles, cultural scripts and social norms of receiving societies. This paper discusses how migrants who move between a re...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Geographical Society of Finland
2015-08-01
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| Series: | Fennia: International Journal of Geography |
| Online Access: | http://ojs.tsv.fi/index.php/fennia/article/view/46322/15668 |
| _version_ | 1811329098082942976 |
|---|---|
| author | Anna Gawlewicz |
| author_facet | Anna Gawlewicz |
| author_sort | Anna Gawlewicz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In an era of accelerated international mobility, individuals have increased opportunities to confront values, practices and discourses linked to their national belonging with lifestyles, cultural scripts and social norms of receiving societies. This paper discusses how migrants who move between a relatively homogeneous society (Poland) and a superdiverse one (the UK), negotiate ‘the national’ and ‘the foreign’ in orientalist binary oppositions. It explores how Polish migrants’ lived experience of difference in the UK context impacts on the construction of Poland. As such, it focuses on essentialist discourses of ‘inferiority’ and ‘superiority’ (of the UK to Poland and vice versa) that are mobilised while migrants negotiate what they believe are British values (i.e. tolerance and diversity) and Polish values (i.e. family). The article draws upon multiple interviews and audio-diaries from a wider study that explores Polish migrants’ encounters with difference and the circulation of values and attitudes between Poland and the UK. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T15:37:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a76421fa1a8d4e94ab7885607b71e5bd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1798-5617 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T15:37:51Z |
| publishDate | 2015-08-01 |
| publisher | Geographical Society of Finland |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fennia: International Journal of Geography |
| spelling | doaj.art-a76421fa1a8d4e94ab7885607b71e5bd2022-12-22T02:41:13ZengGeographical Society of FinlandFennia: International Journal of Geography1798-56172015-08-01193219821110.11143/46322Beyond ‘us’ and ‘them’: Migrant encounters with difference and reimagining the nationalAnna GawlewiczIn an era of accelerated international mobility, individuals have increased opportunities to confront values, practices and discourses linked to their national belonging with lifestyles, cultural scripts and social norms of receiving societies. This paper discusses how migrants who move between a relatively homogeneous society (Poland) and a superdiverse one (the UK), negotiate ‘the national’ and ‘the foreign’ in orientalist binary oppositions. It explores how Polish migrants’ lived experience of difference in the UK context impacts on the construction of Poland. As such, it focuses on essentialist discourses of ‘inferiority’ and ‘superiority’ (of the UK to Poland and vice versa) that are mobilised while migrants negotiate what they believe are British values (i.e. tolerance and diversity) and Polish values (i.e. family). The article draws upon multiple interviews and audio-diaries from a wider study that explores Polish migrants’ encounters with difference and the circulation of values and attitudes between Poland and the UK.http://ojs.tsv.fi/index.php/fennia/article/view/46322/15668 |
| spellingShingle | Anna Gawlewicz Beyond ‘us’ and ‘them’: Migrant encounters with difference and reimagining the national Fennia: International Journal of Geography |
| title | Beyond ‘us’ and ‘them’: Migrant encounters with difference and reimagining the national |
| title_full | Beyond ‘us’ and ‘them’: Migrant encounters with difference and reimagining the national |
| title_fullStr | Beyond ‘us’ and ‘them’: Migrant encounters with difference and reimagining the national |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beyond ‘us’ and ‘them’: Migrant encounters with difference and reimagining the national |
| title_short | Beyond ‘us’ and ‘them’: Migrant encounters with difference and reimagining the national |
| title_sort | beyond us and them migrant encounters with difference and reimagining the national |
| url | http://ojs.tsv.fi/index.php/fennia/article/view/46322/15668 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT annagawlewicz beyondusandthemmigrantencounterswithdifferenceandreimaginingthenational |