Abstract:This paper addresses the living situations of highly-skilled migrants in Germany, taking managers and persons working in the arts in North Rhine-Westphalian cities as examples. With reference to integration concepts as well as approaches to transnational migration and translocality, the results of qualitative guideline-based interviews conducted with these groups are presented. The focus is on the highly-skilled migrants' professional work conditions, their translocal mobility practices, as well as their shapi… Show more
“…Labour market trajectories are the most commonly discussed topic within skilled migration because any kind of deskilling is seen as a concern from the perspective of receiving countries as well as for the migrants (Aure, 2013; Landolt & Thieme, 2018; Liversage, 2009; Riaño & Baghdadi, 2007; Riaño, Limacher, Aschwanden, Hirsig, & Wastl‐Walter, 2015; Winterheller & Hirt, 2017). Some studies have also started to observe everyday place‐making practices of skilled migrants and focus on the importance of place and belonging in the international validation and transfer of skills (Cederberg, 2017; Conradson & Latham, 2005; Föbker et al, 2016; Nowicka, 2014; Plöger & Becker, 2015; Shinozaki, 2014; van Riemsdijk, 2014). These studies mostly view skills as context‐specific in terms of integration to the receiving country.…”
Section: Introduction: Skills and Migrationmentioning
This article explores how highly skilled migrants make sense of and subjectively validate their skills when in search of employment in a new country. With the use of a transnational perspective, we suggest that in the context of migration, skills can only be properly understood if we consider the multiple locations and events in people's life trajectories. In addition to foregrounding the spatial context, we also explore skills through a temporal perspective. The country of origin, previous countries of migration, receiving context and future destinations, and past experiences and future plans can all play a role in the way individuals make sense of and subjectively validate what migrants themselves consider to be their skills. Drawing upon qualitative research among highly skilled migrants in Switzerland, we examine how personal and professional skills intertwine with each other when people engage with a given yet evolving socio‐economic environment.
“…Labour market trajectories are the most commonly discussed topic within skilled migration because any kind of deskilling is seen as a concern from the perspective of receiving countries as well as for the migrants (Aure, 2013; Landolt & Thieme, 2018; Liversage, 2009; Riaño & Baghdadi, 2007; Riaño, Limacher, Aschwanden, Hirsig, & Wastl‐Walter, 2015; Winterheller & Hirt, 2017). Some studies have also started to observe everyday place‐making practices of skilled migrants and focus on the importance of place and belonging in the international validation and transfer of skills (Cederberg, 2017; Conradson & Latham, 2005; Föbker et al, 2016; Nowicka, 2014; Plöger & Becker, 2015; Shinozaki, 2014; van Riemsdijk, 2014). These studies mostly view skills as context‐specific in terms of integration to the receiving country.…”
Section: Introduction: Skills and Migrationmentioning
This article explores how highly skilled migrants make sense of and subjectively validate their skills when in search of employment in a new country. With the use of a transnational perspective, we suggest that in the context of migration, skills can only be properly understood if we consider the multiple locations and events in people's life trajectories. In addition to foregrounding the spatial context, we also explore skills through a temporal perspective. The country of origin, previous countries of migration, receiving context and future destinations, and past experiences and future plans can all play a role in the way individuals make sense of and subjectively validate what migrants themselves consider to be their skills. Drawing upon qualitative research among highly skilled migrants in Switzerland, we examine how personal and professional skills intertwine with each other when people engage with a given yet evolving socio‐economic environment.
The language uses of twenty migrants in Germany who have English in their language repertoires are investigated through semi-structured interviews and qualitative content analysis. The findings suggest that in occupation-related situations and daily life, these migrants resort to English in situations that are too difficult to handle in German. For most of them this is only temporary, before they have a sufficient command of German. Whether and how well migrants learn German depends on factors such as the planned length of stay, the demand for the language in their professional field, previous migration experiences, and personality. Most of the interviewees had taken language classes and were highly motivated to learn German, as English is not always a viable option for communication in Germany and because they considered proficiency in German a sign of respect. The use of German and English as a lingua franca were the two major mediation strategies, along with language technologies like Google Translate, while some interviewees reported successful use of intercomprehension.
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