Abstract
This article emphasises the experiences of the prospective elite among the second generation in Germany by analysing empirical data collected through in-depth interviews across three occupational fields (law, education and corporate business). In spite of their disadvantaged background, some children of lower educated migrant parents from Turkey managed to occupy prestigious leadership positions. Many use their ethnic capital in creative and strategic ways to seek opportunities and obtain access to leading positions. They are now embracing new professional roles and have moved into new social circles due to their steep upward mobility. However, they still have to contend with the fact that their individual mobility stands in contrast to the low-status of the group to which they belong.
Highlights
Even though the Turkish presence has been part of everyday life in Germany’s metropolitan areas for many decades, there is still a continuous public demand for their integration based on assumed cultural differences
They are embracing new roles and enter new social environments due to their steep upward mobility (Crul & Schneider, 2010, p. 1253). Those very successful individuals are still socalled exceptions to the rule since their individual mobility stands in stark contrast to the overall group disadvantage of people whose background originates from Turkish migration into Germany
The steep social mobility of the exceptional group we have studied in this article has led to its members being able to occupy professional positions in large firms and organisations
Summary
Even though the Turkish presence has been part of everyday life in Germany’s metropolitan areas for many decades, there is still a continuous public demand for their integration based on assumed cultural differences. Against the background of a negative discursive context and in spite of their disadvantageous Turkish migration background (Crul, Schneider, & Lelie, 2012; Heath, Rothon, & Kilpi, 2008), some children of migrants from Turkey have made considerable achievements in Western European labour markets. They are embracing new roles and enter new social environments due to their steep upward mobility Those very successful individuals are still socalled exceptions to the rule since their individual mobility stands in stark contrast to the overall group disadvantage of people whose background originates from Turkish migration into Germany.
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