From Biography to Mobility: Experiences of Highly Educated Migrants and the Pursuit of the "Good Life" in the Nordic context

Abstract (English)

The Nordic countries are attractive for migrants to actualise their aspirations because of the region's high levels of life satisfaction and welfare state governance (Booth, 2015; Martela et al., 2020). By employing the autobiographical narrative interview method (Kaźmierska, 2012; Schütze, 2014), the present research project analyses the biographical significance of the migration experience across the life course, focusing on highly educated individuals from Poland and Spain residing in the Nordic countries. The project explores how narrations of biographies differ based on gender, nationality, social class, and the family background of migrants and how the national identity and culture of the country of origin influence migrants' performance and relation to people and places (Pawlak, 2018). Going beyond labour market performance and integration, this study applies the narrative interview method to approach migrants’ lives holistically, considering multiple dimensions of identity, including social/relational, civic/political, cultural, economic, and professional roles, as well as the influence of their social networks, both offline and online. A central focus of this research is the concept of the "good life" (McKenzie, 2016), analysed within the context of migration as a collective narrative that shapes and informs migrants’ aspirations and decision-making processes. The study aims to uncover how individuals from Poland and Spain conceptualize well-being, success, and life satisfaction within the Nordic context, and how these ideas interplay with local societal structures and norms. This presentation draws on the analysis of selected interviews, 16 interviews from the project conducted in Reykjavík, Iceland, and Oslo, Norway, between January 2024 and June 2025.

Resumen (Español)

PS If accepted, I will present the paper in Spanish and translate the abstract and title if necessary.