The intelligentsia informed habitus in social distance strategies of Polish migrants in the UK |
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Authors: | Rafal Smoczynski Ian Fitzgerald Tomasz Zarycki |
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Institution: | 1. Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland;2. Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK;3. The Robert B. Zajonc Institute for Social Studies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland |
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Abstract: | Antagonism and conflict within newly resident UK Polish migrants has been typically related to labour market competition. Without denying the relevance of this argument, we argue that explanations of antagonism within the Polish community should also take into account the role of a Polish intelligentsia habitus. This habitus provides a repertoire of available discursive strategies used for interpreting antagonistic and “risk” situations both in Poland and among Poles abroad. It is argued that not only can this intelligentsia habitus critically legitimize intergroup inequalities in status and symbolic power but also may impact on the patterns of a migrant’s integration, linkage to social networks, access to different capital resources, and interactions with the indigenous population. |
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Keywords: | Polish migrants UK intelligentsia habitus feudal legacy conflicts among migrants |
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