Some people migrate in search of work or economic opportunities, to join family, or to study. Others to escape war, conflict, persecution, or human rights abuses. Increasingly, people move in response to climate crises and natural disasters. Despite these realities, migration and migrants are often portrayed negatively by the media and politicians, with policy and legislation made more and more restrictive.
Many of these people are men - however, migration is rarely discussed in relation to gender and masculinity. Migrating men are often perceived in purely economic terms, or as a ‘threat’, linked to criminality, sexism, and terrorism. But what do we know about these men’s actual experiences, and how they navigate masculine expectations and power relations? This is what Dr Katarzyna Wojnicka has explored in her research, particularly with a large yet under-discussed group – that of Eastern European men migrating across Europe from countries such as Poland.
Katarzyna is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, based in the Department of Sociology and Work Science, and the Centre for European Research. She’s also an Editor in-Chief for NORMA, the International Journal for Masculinity Studies.
In this episode we cover the following topics:
Further reading:
Here is a selection of papers by Katarzyna which we discuss in the episode:
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