Game of labels: identification of highly skilled migrants

ABSTRACT

The aim of this paper is to explore the identification choices of highly skilled migrants employed by companies in the Wałbrzych Special Economic Zone in south-west Poland in order to discuss how their identity is constructed and performed, especially how conflictual identifications are managed. Analysis of qualitative data shows the migrants call both their place of origin and their new place of life home. They identify as inhabitants of their new city and talk about gaining some traits of Polish national identity but they stress strong national identity related to their home country. Conflicts of loyalties in these hybrid identities are solved through a label game. Migrants identify with groups at different scales, from local groups, through city and national, to supranational. By playing with the scale of groups they can avoid conflicting identifications.

KEYWORDS:

• Highly skilled migrants
• identification
• belonging
• national identity
• local identity
• Poland

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Quotes are described with pseudonyms and country of birth. Some migrants grew up in more than one country.

2. Polish name for female inhabitant of Wrocław.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science Centre (grant number UMO2013/11/B/HS6/01348);Narodowe Centrum Nauki [UMO-2013/11/B/HS6/ 01348].