Intersectionality of Symbolic Violence against Highly-Qualified Female Migrants in Poland

Authors

  • Anna Dolińska Uniwersytet Warszawski

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/2300-1690.18.05

Keywords:

symbolic violence, nationality, age and gender, highly qualified female migrants, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Poland as a host country

Abstract

The article describes the manifestations of non-physical hurt experienced by highly skilled female migrants from Belarus and Ukraine. Referring to intersectional approach, I show how three social categories: nationality, age and gender affect their everyday experience of living and working in the corporate sector in Poland with Polish colleagues. Using examples from in-depth interviews with migrants I analyse the occurrences of symbolic violence such as staring, ignoring, social rejection, double standards, being asked infuriating questions, hearing insulting tirades, conditional forms of acceptance, discourses of suspicion, pointing out foreign accent. Being young female foreign specialists but coming from the former USSR republics they go against the normative expectations of the host society representatives and distort the symbolic power structures, which results in them experiencing various forms and degrees of symbolic oppression. The paradox of their situation is that on the macro level, these migrants were encouraged to come to Poland and could benefit from certain institutional facilitations, but on the micro level these women experienced unequal treatment through interaction with the members of the host society.

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Published

2020-01-01

How to Cite

Dolińska, A. (2020). Intersectionality of Symbolic Violence against Highly-Qualified Female Migrants in Poland. Władza Sądzenia, (18), 78–93. https://doi.org/10.18778/2300-1690.18.05

Issue

No. 18 (2020)

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Articles

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