Structural Conflict in the Polish Migrant Community in the UK

Abstract

The article presents the results of the author’s research concerning the place and characteristics of structural conflict in the functioning of the Polish migrant community in the UK. The backdrop for the analyzed phenomenon was post-accession migrations. Giving rise to phenomena and processes significant to the development of social structure, they constitute one of the critical factors in social change. The study used qualitative analysis to identify which of the analyzed social areas generated structural conflicts in the investigated environment. Structural conflict, in its many dimensions, was present not only between migrants and the host society, but also between migrants from different countries and between migrants from the same diaspora. This called into question the previously prevalent belief about the cohesion of the migrant community. The present study may serve as a point of departure for further explorations concerning issues such as structural barriers in a multinational society.