Moving masculinities: Polish migrants in Norway navigating transnational gender hierarchies

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article is based upon a study of 10, primarily younger (ages 22–35) unmarried Polish men in Norway and explores the role that gender plays in their migration and how these men navigate between different gender ideals in Norway and Poland. By using an intersectional approach and transnational lens, this article draws attention to how Polish men in Norway negotiate their gendered identities between the social fields they exist within. The research on Polish migrant masculinities has mainly taken place in the UK and focused on men in family situations. This article contributes to this growing field by drawing attention to a less studied demographic in a country like Norway which has similar and different gender hierarchies as the UK. I draw attention to the plurality of masculinities that exist among Polish migrants, and the welcome changes/tensions that emerge as they encounter different gendered expectations in Norway. This article also highlights how the participants see stereotypes about Polish men as both beneficial in situations in Norway, and also serve as a source of marginalization, and the different ways these men then respond to this perceived marginalization.