Matka Polka and the way social constructions are re-negotiated in transnational migration. A qualitative study of Polish migrant live-in care workers in Germany
Studenteropgave: Kandidatspeciale og HD afgangsprojekt
- Aleksandra Dorota Goinska
4. semester, Kultur, kommunikation og globalisering, kandidat (Kandidatuddannelse)
The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the role that Polish women negotiate as mothers and wives abroad, re-establishing their family connections. The mentioned Polish women are employed in Germany as migrant care workers, however they try to create the proximity with their family members in a transnational space. In order to enhance my thesis I decided to add the views of my informants’ family members. Therefore in order to explore this subject I adopted the qualitative research method using semi-structured interviews. The narratives were told orally and some of them were written in a document, however the main attention is on the Polish migrant care workers, who perform their tasks in German families’ households 24/7. Data of this study was conducted through the virtual communication and face-to-face conversations in Poland.
In the first part of my analysis I present the representation of “Matka Polka” or “Mother Pole” who is deeply rooted in a Polish tradition and culture as a woman truly engaged to her household. At the same time they play a role of distant caring mothers and partners and simultaneously being paid to provide care to strangers, what presents the complexity of care. The thesis then identifies the transnational migrants’ involvements in maintaining the family ties across the distance.
The main findings were that my informants do not associate with the image of “Mother Pole”, as they feel that they are the distant caregivers to their families. However in my opinion the migration process transformed the “Mother Pole” to a more distant image, nevertheless it is still contemporary in the lives of my informants. Accordingly it is presented in the next part of my thesis where the caring practices are based on virtual communication and the emotional and social aspect of remittances.
The results suggest that the role of women in a Polish society still covers the expectations of its people, however because of migration, it is transformed into another approach among its families. Thus, the “Mother Poles” create the new virtue of this image.
Keywords: migration, care workers, Poland, women, Germany, Matka Polka
In the first part of my analysis I present the representation of “Matka Polka” or “Mother Pole” who is deeply rooted in a Polish tradition and culture as a woman truly engaged to her household. At the same time they play a role of distant caring mothers and partners and simultaneously being paid to provide care to strangers, what presents the complexity of care. The thesis then identifies the transnational migrants’ involvements in maintaining the family ties across the distance.
The main findings were that my informants do not associate with the image of “Mother Pole”, as they feel that they are the distant caregivers to their families. However in my opinion the migration process transformed the “Mother Pole” to a more distant image, nevertheless it is still contemporary in the lives of my informants. Accordingly it is presented in the next part of my thesis where the caring practices are based on virtual communication and the emotional and social aspect of remittances.
The results suggest that the role of women in a Polish society still covers the expectations of its people, however because of migration, it is transformed into another approach among its families. Thus, the “Mother Poles” create the new virtue of this image.
Keywords: migration, care workers, Poland, women, Germany, Matka Polka
| Sprog | Engelsk |
|---|---|
| Udgivelsesdato | 30 jul. 2015 |
| Antal sider | 63 |
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