Celebration of the School of MPO PhD Success

Research title: The Lived Experience of Acculturation and Transnationalism of the First and Second Generation of post-2004 Polish Migrants in Ireland. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

Summary: This research explores the lived experiences of psychological acculturation and transnationalism among first- and second-generation Polish migrants in Ireland. Positioned at the intersection of migrant acculturation theory and transnationalism, the study addresses a significant gap in psychological research on Ireland’s 'new' migrant communities, with a particular focus on the individual and emotional dimensions of migration.

The central research question examines how Polish migrants of the first and second generation make sense of their experiences of acculturation and transnational ties. Employing a qualitative approach, the study uses Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to examine in-depth narratives from nine first-generation and nine second-generation Polish individuals who migrated after 2004.

Key findings reveal distinct generational differences in acculturation strategies. First-generation migrants often adopt a separation strategy, maintaining strong connections to Polish culture and family in Poland, which fosters emotional ambivalence and a complex sense of identity. Conversely, second-generation migrants tend to integrate or assimilate, developing a dual sense of belonging in both Irish and Polish contexts.

The study also examines the psychological and developmental impacts of migration, including the role reversal experienced by children who act as interpreters for their parents (parentification) and the emergence of dual identities shaped by language and context. Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, the thesis demonstrates how various environmental layers influence the formation of identity across generations.

The research contributes to the understanding of the interactions between integration and transnationalism. The Model of a continuum of acculturation and transnationalism was developed. By highlighting the dual nature of these processes as integral to a social phenomenon, the study emphasizes the importance of human and personal considerations in shaping these interactions. Additionally, it reveals the convergence and divergence between generations in their understanding and experiences of these processes, providing valuable implications for theory.

Overall, the thesis offers a novel contribution to migration studies in Ireland, highlighting the nuanced and deeply personal aspects of migrant identity, emotional life, and cross-cultural negotiation.

List of research dissemination

Kossykowska, J. (2019, November 9). Quality of IPA studies – evaluating quality of qualitative research [Colloquium Presentation]. Technological University Dublin 2nd Annual Colloquium, Dublin, Ireland.

Kossykowska, J. (2020, December 17). Exploring the lived experience of acculturation and transnationalism of the first and second generation of Polish migrants’ in Ireland using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis [Poster presentation]. Technological University Dublin 11th Annual Graduate Research Symposium, Dublin, Ireland.

Kossykowska, J. (2021, February 18). The phenomenological exploration of lived experience of acculturation and transnationalism of two generation of Polish migrants in Ireland [Poster presentation]. Technological University Dublin PhD Mini Conference and Showcase, Dublin, Ireland.

Kossykowska, J. (2021, April 29). Exploring the lived experience of acculturation and transnationalism of the first and second generation of Polish migrants in Ireland using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis [Paper presentation]. IMISCOE PhD Workshop Presentation Series, Liège, Belgium.

Kossykowska, J. (2021, June 1). IPA as a method in migration studies [Paper presentation]. IMISCOE PhD Workshop Presentation Series, Liège, Belgium.

Basini, S., & Kossykowska, J. (2021, June 7-9). Evaluating the contribution of qualitative research methods [Conference workshops]. IMISCOE 18th Annual Conference, “Crossing borders, connecting cultures”, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.

Kossykowska, J. (2022, May 30). The lived experience of acculturation and transnationalism of the first and second generation of Polish migrants in Ireland [Committee session presentation]. Senate of the Republic of Poland Committee on Emigration and Connecting with Poles Abroad, Gdansk, Poland.

Kossykowska, J. (2022, June 28). The lived experience of acculturation and transnationalism of two generation of Polish migrants in Ireland [Committee session presentation]. Senate of the Republic of Poland Committee on Emigration and Connecting with Poles Abroad, Warsaw, Poland.

Kossykowska, J. (2022, October 29-30). Who I am? Where I belong to? The lived experience of acculturation and transnationalism of two generations of Polish migrants in Ireland [Conference presentation]. 12th Science: Polish Perspectives, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Kossykowska, J. (2024, February 4). My journey to find the findings. [Colloquium Presentation]. Technological University Dublin, IPA Research Centre, 4th Annual Colloquium, Dublin, Ireland.

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, (2024, June -July). Public consultation to inform the development of a new Migrant Integration Strategy. Dublin, Ireland.

Kossykowska, J. (2024, July, 2-5). An emotional journey fraught with the complexities of choice, sacrifice, commitment, and emotions. The lived experience of emotional transnationalism of two generation of Polish migrants in Ireland. [Conference Paper]. 21st IMISCOE Annual Conference “Migration as a Social Construction: A Reflexive Turn”, Lisbon, Portugal.

The Irish Polish Society Yearbook, vol. X, 2023 (November, 2024). Recalibrating identity - the experience of being "in-between" by two generations of Polish post-accession emigrants in Ireland.

Kossykowska, J. (2024, November 26-27). A generational perspective; The migrant youth experience. Cities of Welcome Conference, Cork, Ireland.

The Irish Polish Society Yearbook, vol. XI, 2024 (June, 2025). Transnational connections with Poland of two generations of Polish emigrants living in Ireland.