This project examines how children of migrants, known as the “second generation”, establish a sense of worth and belonging in professional workplaces in the UK. Instead of documenting negative experiences of racism and exclusion, it breaks new ground by uncovering the factors that positively shape individuals’ sense of worth, helping them feel valued and included in institutional spaces, which crucially impact their careers and place in society.

Drawing on Michèle Lamont’s influential work, the project aims to rethink “integration” from the perspective of worth. Empirically, it originally compares youth of European and non-European background in professional employment. This will provide much-needed insight into a “new” and expanding second generation, EU migrants’ children, who grew up in Brexit and pandemic times, and whose work experiences are largely unknown.

Looking at adult children of migrants in professional workplaces and using qualitative methods, it asks three main questions:

1. How do adult children of migrants understand inclusion?

2. How do they respond to formal inclusion strategies in professional workplaces?

3. What factors enhance their sense of worth, validating their skills and belonging there?

The project, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, will run for three years (2025-28).

Key contacts:

Dr Laura Morosanu, Principal Investigator

Dr Selin Sivis, Research Fellow