Disentangling the transnational belongingness of children in and beyond a Danish school

Abstract

The aim of this study is to unravel the multifaceted sentiments of belonging which children who are born in Denmark but whose parents have direct personal experiences of transnational migration can have within and beyond the Danish comprehensive public school system. The empirical basis of the study stems from fieldwork at one school in Denmark and consists primarily of interviews with children (n = 19). This study shows how language, religion, and the countries of birth of the children’s parents play very different roles in the children’s narratives of belonging, which, in turn, indicate that the school to varying degrees accommodates the transnational aspects of children’s lives according to how well they fit into the ‘Danishness’ that the school prescribes. The paper concludes by considering ways forward to better understand and counteract tendencies towards alienation, which schools’ handling of the transnational aspects of children’s lives might entail.

(Methodological) nationalism and academic debates on the integration of migrant children

“…The integration of migrant children is also discussed in the context of religion and religious communities (Lee, 2018). Religion represents an important part of migrants’ lives; in some cases, it seems to be the primary identity among several held by migrants, even in subsequent generations (see Jensen, 2022; this issue), leading migrants to identify intensely with their minority group in contradiction to their identification with the host country (Lee, 2018; Riaz, 2015; Ricucci, 2016). Studies suggest that the preservation of the culture of origin and the maintenance of family relationships can be facilitated by parents involving their children in religious practices (Ayón et al, 2018).…”