The Dynamics of Immigrant Agency : A Transnational Perspective on East-West European Migration

This study delves into the dynamic transformation of human agency within the complex context of settlement-oriented immigration. It places a central focus on agency, examining it from interdisciplinary, structural, and non-structural perspectives while considering the individual and collective experiences throughout the migration process. The study employs a transnational lens and an interpretive approach, firmly grounded in the rigorous methodology of Grounded Theory. Using a versatile multimethod open research design, the research culminates in the development of an empirically grounded Immigrant Agency Theory. Through the migration and settlement lens, this theory engages the simultaneity hypothesis, bridging the realms of integration and transnationalism. Immigrant agency, derived from the empirical study, is conceptualized as a multifaceted analytical tool encompassing representational aspects (identity formations and frameworks), expressive dimensions (language use, the acquisition of voice, and multilingual practices), and operational facets (social actions).
The Immigrant Agency Theory takes shape through an in-depth case study of immigrants from the former Soviet Union who embarked on their journey to Germany during the 1990s and early 2000s, representing the fourth wave of the East-West European migration in the 20th century. To illustrate the dynamics within the researched immigrant communities, the application of the transition and postcolonial frames additionally prove useful in explaining the dominance of the Russian language and the outcomes of cultural Sovietization/ Russification for the communities abroad.
The thesis introduces novel insights by differentiating between identity formations and identity frameworks, illustrated through a semantic assessment of ‘russaki,’ an identity framework originating from the German context. Moreover, the thesis provides a comprehensive analysis of the processual character of language use as languaging, encompassing practices like translanguaging between German and Russian and examining the contexts in which such practices are prevalent. Then it offers an in-depth examination of social actions across the spheres of business and leisure within the immigrant communities under investigation. These findings illuminate the roles of language use, encompassing multilingualism and translanguaging, along with identity formations and frameworks, as well as entrepreneurial and leisure actions. These elements serve as mechanisms facilitating transition, engagement, resistance, and the expression of flexible ethnic boundarymaking, cultural pluralism, and the maintenance of difference through auto-exoticism as exemplified by the studied population groups.
The study’s limitations primarily relate to its focus on first-generation immigrants. Furthermore, there are chronological constraints tied to migration enabled by the disintegration of the Soviet Union, which has affected the temporal scope of the research. Additionally, there is reduced analysis of the role of state and international agencies. The study specifically concentrates on individuals affiliated with Russian-speaking communities in Germany. Furthermore, the empirical study took place before the full-scale Russian invasion in Ukraine in 2022, a critical event that dramatically impacted the dynamics within the studied subjects on the ground. These limitations should be considered when interpreting the findings and their applicability to broader immigrant populations and different migration contexts.
In conclusion, the study holds implications for the development of a comprehensive theory of immigrant agency that encompasses both individual and collective dimensions. It thoughtfully navigates structural and non-structural factors within transnational social and urban spaces. This research contributes significantly to the field of East-West European migration studies by adopting transition and postcolonial perspectives, allowing for a wide-ranging understanding of individual and collective experiences during migration amid the complex backdrop of social, political, and economic transformations.