Navigating Education and Employment as Bangladeshi Student Migrants in Denmark
Author
Shimul, Nusrat Jahan
Term
4. semester
Education
Publication year
2024
Abstract
Mennesker har altid flyttet sig for at forbedre deres liv. Denne afhandling undersøger en særlig form for migration: bangladeshiske studerende, der kommer til Danmark for videregående uddannelse. Den spørger, hvorfor de vælger Danmark, hvordan de bevarer sociale og kulturelle bånd på tværs af grænser, og hvordan de håndterer hverdagsliv i et meget anderledes samfund. Undersøgelsen bygger på interviews med syv studerende fra Bangladesh, som er migreret til Danmark. Med narrativ analyse (at læse personlige fortællinger for at forstå oplevelser) og begreber fra transnationalisme (liv og netværk, der spænder over flere lande), navigation (at finde vej i nye systemer) og social reproduktion (hvordan fordele og ulemper gives videre og opretholdes) belyses deres valg og udfordringer. Resultaterne viser, at grænseoverskridende relationer og netværk i høj grad præger de studerendes erfaringer, især når de søger job. De fortæller også om ulig behandling, både på arbejdsmarkedet og på deres uddannelsesinstitutioner. Afhandlingen giver refleksioner og forslag, der kan forbedre studerendes migrationsoplevelser. Trods modgang peger de også på positive indsigter og styrker, som kan gavne dem på længere sigt.
People have always moved to improve their lives. This thesis looks at a specific kind of migration: Bangladeshi students who come to Denmark for higher education. It asks why they choose Denmark, how they keep social and cultural ties across borders, and how they handle everyday life in a very different society. The study is based on interviews with seven student migrants. Using narrative analysis (reading personal stories to understand experience) and ideas from transnationalism (life and networks spanning more than one country), navigation (finding one’s way through new systems), and social reproduction (how advantages and disadvantages are passed on and sustained), it examines their choices and challenges. The findings show that cross-border relationships and networks strongly shape students’ experiences, especially when looking for jobs. The students also report unequal treatment, both in the labor market and within educational institutions. The thesis offers reflections and suggestions that could help improve migrant students’ experiences. Despite hardships, the students also describe positive learnings and strengths that may benefit them in the long run.
[This summary has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
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