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Title:
Class and Ethnicity: Polish Migrant Workers in London, 1996-2006

Subject Categories:
Migration - Population, vital statistics and censuses
Race relations - Society and culture
Social and occupational mobility - Social stratification and groupings

Depositor(s):
Eade, J., University of Surrey. Centre for Research on Nationalism, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism

Principal Investigator(s):
Eade, J., University of Surrey. Centre for Research on Nationalism, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism
Garapich, M., University of Surrey. Centre for Research on Nationalism, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism

Sponsor(s):
Economic and Social Research Council

Grant Number:
RES-000-22-1294

Abstract:
The study examines recent Polish migrations to London and the socio-cultural consequences for Poland and the UK as well as individual narratives about ethnicity, class, migration and multicultural Britain.

This dataset consists of 57 qualitative, semi-structured face-to-face interviews with Polish nationals living in London and their friends and family in four locations in Poland. There is also one set of fieldwork notes conducted in Poland. Interviews were conducted in Polish and transcribed directly into English by the researcher.

A majority of interviewees had been in London for no more than two years. Although some in the sample were very recent migrants, others had been living in the capital for almost a decade. Interviews were conducted across sections of age, education and occupational activity and the sample was weighted in order to be consistent with the more general statistical data gathered by the Home Office Workers Registration Scheme and the Labour Force Survey.

The study asked interconnected questions, such as: in what terms do Polish migrant workers understand their socio-economic position within both London's market and in Poland, and in what ways can their understandings of both be analysed in terms of analytical distinctions between class and ethnicity? Also, what social and economic links did respondents maintain with relatives and friends in Poland?

Further information is available from the ESRC award page or the project's web page
Main Topics:
Migration, Polish, transnationalism, class

Coverage:
Time Period Covered: 1996-2006
Dates of Fieldwork: October 2005-June 2006
Country: England; Poland
Geography: Jaslo; Krakow; London; Pawlowice; Sokolka
Spatial Units: No spatial unit
Observation Units: Individuals
Kind of Data: Textual data

Universe Sampled:
Location of Units of Observation:Cross-national; Subnational
Population:Polish nationals living in London at the time of the research. Sample weighted against Home Office and Labour Force Survey datasets. Majority consist of migrants that arrived in last 2, 3 years although small minority of respondents have been in London for longer. No one living in London for longer than 10 years have been included; family and friends living in Poland at the time of the research

Methodology:
Time Dimensions: Cross-sectional (one-time) study
Sampling Procedures: Quasi-random (eg random walk) sample; Convenience sample
Sampling used a combination of methods – small scale snow-balling along with randomly seeking individuals fitting the overall profile of Polish migrants as derived from general datasets (Workers Registration Scheme and Labour Force Survey). The sample in Poland have been selected purely on the basis of referral.
Number of Units: 57 semi-structured interview transcripts, 1 fieldwork note
Method of Data Collection: Face-to-face interview; Observation; In-depth semi-structured interviews
Weighting: Not applicable

Language(s) of Written Materials:
Study Description: English
Study Documentation: English, Polish

Access:
Access Conditions: The depositor has specified that registration is required and standard conditions of use apply. The depositor may be informed about usage. See terms and conditions for further information.
Availability: ESDS Qualidata, UK Data Archive
Contact: Help desk: qualidata@esds.ac.uk

Date of Release:
First Edition: 07 November 2008

Copyright:
Copyright J. Eade

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