Description
The project covers issues concerning care deficits in Polish families related to Poles’ labour migration. The central aim of this project is to explore the concept of different dimensions of care deficit and examine how it relates to migration. The project has both theoretical and practical components. The theoretical aims include the definition of the scale of care deficit in Polish families. The project results will increase the knowledge on social and economic consequences of women’s migration. Another project result is to build an innovative model of local and national social policy. The target groups are: universities, students, local and nationwide social agendas. Mutual cooperation in preparing research tools, elaboration of problems and analyzing of the data will have strong impact on developing international research web which can be open for new partners. The Norwegian partner, the University of Bergen, will be responsible for conducting interviews with questionnaires among Polish female migrants in Bergen and in-depth interviews with female migrants in Bergen and Oslo.
Summary of project results
The presented project analysis clearly shows that the migration of women generates many complex problems of care. These concern both children left behind in the country of origin and migrants’ elderly parents/in-laws. Care for them generates several issues and it becomes an urgent social, organizational and financial problem for the countries participating in the transfer of care. The project aimed to show different areas of the deficit, both in the care for migrants’ children and elderly parents remaining in the country. On the one hand, it focused on recognizing what strategies women - Polish migrants in Norway - take to provide care for children and elderly parents. On the other hand - to determine which areas of care require additional support. In order to achieve our results we: 1. conducted survey of Polish female migrants in Norway, 2. conducted interviews in Poland with children and their social workers, teachers, female re-emigrants, parents/grandparents and their carers 3. Interviews with female Polish migrants women who have parents or grandparents or children in Poland or have children in Norwegian EEC (Early Education and Care) or who work in Norwegian EEC or Norwegian elderly care institutions. The results were presented in 19 peer-reviewed articles, in the final report of the project (in Polish an English) and 7 national and 30 international conferences. The national and international conference at the UMCS was organized and two workshops with social workers. The Final Report, a book on Care of children and elderly parents in families of migrant women and a brochure on the project, were distributed in a printed and/or electronic version in the most important academic centres in Poland, as well as to social service organizations, NGOs, major libraries, social welfare centres and organizations of migrants and the media. Based on our research, recommendations have been developed for changes to the care models for children of migrant mothers and, above all, the category of people aged 65+, whose daughters/sons are migrants. Since it was also found that it is necessary to supplement issues related to "care in migration processes" in the preparation of social workers to "care management", the project of a student programme was initiated, with the aim to introduce it into the teaching process at universities educating social workers and family assistants.
Summary of bilateral results
The Norwegian partner participated in all stages of the project. They partook in developing the general concept of the research and part of the research tools (research in Norway) while the rest of the tools were consulted between partners. The project enabled the participants to get to know the partners better and establish cooperation for future joint projects. A significant part of the cooperation was the discussion and developing the final version of recommendations concerning the models of care.