The globalized world with increasing flows of people creates challenges for education and work. Today migration is more diversified than before and it has impact on adolescents, adults and whole families as well as societies and labor markets. New types of challenges that unite local and global demands are emerging. We see that schools and work places are not ready to face them and that we need more knowledge as well as practices and tools how to deal with this situation. 

This symposium will focus on international migration and how it is happening in Finland and in other countries. Our main concerns are how immigrants’ previous competences are   recognized in their new settings and what kinds of pathways they find to labor markets. In addition, we explore the situation of adolescents, so called second generation, and support school can give them. Besides to Finnish situation, which differs from other European countries because immigration started later, we will examine and compare Finland to other European countries and especially Britain and Russia. Furthermore, we provide an overview and comparison of literature that discuss economic migrants within the European Union

Theoretical framework will mainly be based on critical theory and cultural-historical activity theory. They include concepts of recognition and redistribution as put forward by Axel Honneth and Nancy Fraser (2003). Furthermore, the concepts of experiencing and critical conflicts as seen by Fyodor Vasilyuk (1988), third space and script by Kris Gutierrez (1999) as well as tensions and contradictions are explored (cf. Iljenkov, 1977; Leontjev, 1978; Engeström, 1987). 

Empirical cases come from three research projects which aim at producing new knowledge concerning why and how young and adult, and even highly educated immigrants are stratified into an ‘ethnic minority disadvantaged’ group. Research data involves questionnaires and in-depth interviews from Russian immigrants, in-depth interviews from highly educated immigrants and interviews of immigrant adolescents and their teachers.  

The expected outcome is that immigrants face a complex and multilayered situation with conflicts and tensions that are not easy to solve. In order to do that new tools and practices need to be created in schools and work places.    

This symposium will attract people who are interested in learning and development in multicultural settings both on theoretical and practical level at school, work and societies.  

References

Engeström, Y. (1987). Learning by expanding: An activity-theoretical approach to developmental research. Helsinki: Orienta-Konsultit.

Engeström, Y. (2005). Developmental work research expanding activity theory in practice (Vol. 12). Berlin: Lehmanns Media.

Fraser, N. & Honneth, A. (2003). Redistribution or recognition? A political-philosophical exchange. London, New York: Verso.

Gutiérrez, K. D., Baquedano-López, P., & Tejeda, C. (1999). Rethinking diversity: Hybridity and hybrid language practices in the Third Space. Mind, Culture, and Activity, 6(4), 286-303.

Iljenkov, E. V. (1977). Dialectical Logic: Essays on its history and theory. Moscow: Progress.

Leontjev, A. N. (1978). Activity, consciousness and personality. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Vasilyuk, F. (1988). The psychology of experiencing. Moscow: Progress.