Paper short abstract:

Moving from one culture is a challenging experience for international migrant workers and their families. The paper focuses on Polish adolescent schooling and integration experiences in Scotland. The interviews collected from children and parents help generate a complete picture of the family choices and decisions concerning education and future.

Paper long abstract:

The paper examines identity formation among first generation of Polish adolescent educating in Scotland. It explores the practices and narratives of Polish youth migrants and their parents in Scotland, drawing on ethnographic research, including interviews surrounding international relocation, as well as participant-observation within homes and schools. On the one hand, it looks at the family support and young people social and cultural capitals. The paper studies educational and school aspiration of the young migrants and their families. Children usually integrate to the new culture more rapidly than their immigrant parents and frequently have different view on their future. The paper looks at the intergenerational tensions and conflict between migrant parents and their teenage children and the role of children schooling. On the second hand, it explores the feeling of belongingness among young migrants: How the individual value the culture of origin? Is he/she drawn to the new culture (or cultures)? Does he/she feel welcome and incorporated into the new culture (or cultures)? Does he/she wish to be incorporated into the new culture or does he/she find it alienating? Finally, it asks about young migrant transnational identity and linkages, expectation for their future and choice of a place to live.