Paper short abstract:

Anthropological research among Polish migrants in London has shown that unpredictable, open-ended, strategically adaptive migration activities have flourished since EU enlargement. 'Superdiversity' has to take into account this temporal and processual aspect of migration.

Paper long abstract:

Despite a perception of transnationalism and immigration in general as a paradigmatic feature of modern urban 'spaces of flows' (Castells) or global city (Sassen) or other places of power and meaning creation (Gupta&Ferguson, M.P Smith) there seems to be a prevailing assumption that 'cultural' or 'ethnic' is what defines an immigrant, alien, other. People moving across national spaces and allocations of state power are essentialized thought their ethnicity, culture, religion or skin colour - but very rarely by their class position, place in sending or receiving social stratification and migration patterns. It is assumed then that migrant are classless or that their class understandings results from their place on the host labour market. Migration is far too often constructed as a linear movement across 'cultures', states and bounded national entities than a temporary endeavour across stratification systems.

Anthropological research among Polish migrants in London has shown that the concept of 'superdiversity' cannot be confined to its cultural, linguistic or ethnic component. It has to take into account the temporal and processual aspect of migration. Patterns of migration, strategies of transnational activities, tactics in maintaining migration networks and building up migratory social capital and so on are also diverse and result in diverse forms of behaviour, cultural values creation, symbols reproduction and power relations negotiations. Temporary, circular, unpredictable, open-ended, strategically adaptive migration activities have flourished after full liberalization of migration regime due to EU enlargement on 1st May. To understand them fully brings - in my opinion - far more light into 'superdiverse' setting of London than overheated discourses about culture and ethnicity. 'Superdiversity' is presented then as an outcome of different migratory trajectories and meeting points where "the place where you come from" counts as much as "how long you're staying here".