Emigracja a proces uczenia się małżonków
Emigration and the learning process of spouses

Summary/Abstract: Poland’s accession to the structures of the European Union initiated the post-accession emigration of Poles, which was characterized by the emergence of new directions for emigration. Great Britain has become one of the most popular. An emigration is a significant event in the biography of a person and the whole family. In the light of Agnieszka Bron’s concept (2000, 2006), it is associated with numerous tensions, ambivalence, a sense of helplessness and suspension (the so-called “floating”), and at the same time, it is an educational event. The research aimed to explain the learning process of spouses experiencing emigration. Biographical research was carried out using an autobiographical narrative interview and an analysis of personal documents. Ten marriage dyads staying in a long-term emigration in Great Britain participated in the research. As a result of the study of the empirical material, the following categories of experiences that fit into “floating” were distinguished: surprise/fascination with the reality, sense of loss and loneliness, uncertainty as to the rightness of the decision made, loss of sense of security, attempting to cope with the crisis, choosing a coping strategy and learning. However, not all of the distinguished categories appear in every autobiographical narration. Compared to A. Bron’s concept, the “floating” structure in the biographies studied consists of a more significant number of elements. At the same time, it loses its stages, becomes blurry, and has a mosaic character. Ten strategies for coping with a sense of suspension were also identified, which were high or low orientated toward either: the culture of the host country or the culture of the home country. Most, but not all, of these strategies enhanced recognizing the new culture. Learning from the beginning is perceived as a value and an opportunity to better cope with the crisis experienced in living in new socio-cultural conditions.

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