Anchors and thresholds in the formation of a transnational sense of belonging of migrant children in Poland

Abstract

ABSTRACT The formation of the sense of belonging is a lifelong process, which has no precise patterns and depends on individual experiences and feelings. For migrant children, it becomes central during transnational transitions and socialisation. To study the anchors and thresholds that shape a transnational sense of belonging of migrant children in Poland, this paper adopts the concept of social anchoring proposed by Grzymała-Kazłowska [2016. “Social Anchoring: Immigrant Identity, Security and Integration Reconnected?.” Sociology 50 (6): 1123–1139]. The study derives from child-centred qualitative research with migrant children, their parents and their teachers. The analysis introduces the four dimensions of belonging formation, namely the formal, social, emotional and symbolic, which determine how migrant schoolchildren negotiate their sense of belonging during transnational transitions. This research stresses the significance of all four dimensions for children's socialisation and underlines that belonging becomes key in children's wellbeing and sets the priorities in multiple spheres, like education, friendship, interests, leisure, or future life plans.