Processes of socio-spatial exposures and isolations among Polish labour migrants in rural Norway: Exploring social integration as a lived experience

Abstract

The recent significant inflow of international migrants into rural areas in Europe has raised questions about the integration of migrants into the rural host localities. Amidst the growing literature, there are, however, few comprehensive analyses of processes of migrants’ social integration. Drawing on the lived experience of Polish migrants in a rural area in Norway and applying the theoretical framework of social exposures, the article illustrates the important role of the migrants’ position on the local labour market, the socio-demographics of the receiving locality and the material and geographical properties of the area for the dynamics of their social integration. Findings show how migrants’ desires to engage in migrant/non-migrant relationships are challenged by the increasingly ethnically divided local labour market, amidst growing migration to the location and by the geographical structure of the locality. The changing and intersecting character of those domains fosters conditions that promote primarily social exposure of the migrants to their own co-ethnics, isolating them from the local community. At the same time, the study illustrates that mutual engagement of the migrants and the local inhabitants, as well as having children, play a significant role in diversifying migrants’ local social contacts.

Is Social Contact With the Resident Population a Prerequisite of Well-Being and Place Attachment? The Case of Refugees in Rural Regions of Germany

“…Bi-directional contacts where refugees and neighbors are at eye level emerged from casual meetings in the stairway or garden, where kids can act as bridge builders (cf. Stachowski, 2020 ).…”

“…Comparative empirical research on attitudes of rural residents toward immigrants reveals a reluctant or even hostile attitude, which might be due to less contact and individual experiences of living with immigrants (e.g., Czaika and Di Lillo, 2018 , for European comparison; Zahl-Thanem and Haugen, 2018 , for the case of Norway). A study on the social integration of Polish labor migrants on a Norwegian island stressed the level of social exposure, i.e., the likelihood of contact and the degree of intra-community contact of immigrants (as social bonds) and between migrants and resident population (as social bridges), as an element of social integration (Stachowski, 2020 ). Another study on immigrant integration in rural Sweden suggests that the level of “strangeness” in terms of skin color and ethnicity influences the ways residents approach newcomers, mixing othering processes on the basis of (non)whiteness with categories, such as race and class (Arora-Jonsson, 2017 ).…”

From Valued Stayers to Working Hands? the Social Consequences of Changing Employment Relations Among Polish Migrants in Farmed Salmon Industry in Rural Norway

“…Our interviewees described the work at the plant as highly segmented and as separating them effectively from Norwegians working in the company (see also Stachowski, 2020). Such a situation, however, developed gradually.…”

“…The article expands and elaborates on the first author's earlier discussions on post-accession labour migration to rural Norway, drawing on the same data (seeStachowski 2020 andStachowski andFiałkowska, 2021). Whilst these publications analysed work-related aspects as one of several aspects that affect the situation of the migrants locally, the current article focuses exclusively on the analysis of the employment relations.…”

Belonging and its frames: Rural employers' boundary construction concerning immigrant employees

“…However, immigration to rural areas is not necessarily a painless process, as a strong sense of conformity may require immigrants to adapt to the local culture and social practices (Hayfield & Schug, 2019; Zahl‐Thanem & Haugen, 2019). Despite being integrated into labour markets and being familiar to the community, immigrants might remain outsiders from local social networks (Aure et al., 2018; McAreavey & Krivokapic‐Skoko, 2019; Membretti & Lucchini, 2018; Stachowski, 2020). As Hayfield and Schug (2019) state, even though immigrants might be locally accepted, lack of historical family relations and social networks can place them in a position in which they are considered ‘familiar strangers’ and outsiders.…”