The grandchildren of Turkish migrants across Europe will be interviewed as part of a major research project led by Professor Ayse Guveli from the Department of Sociology and supported by a €2.75 million funding award from the European Research Council.
The ThirdGen project explores the long-term impact of migration on the third generation of Turkish migrant families and their assimilation patterns across different European countries, especially their socioeconomic position and family set ups.
Ayse who is leading the five-year project, said:
“Research has produced extensive knowledge about migrants and their children. But we know almost nothing about the third generation – the grandchildren. Studying the third generation will reveal the long-term implications of migration.
“Now, the grandchildren have grown, enabling us, for the first time, to study their life transitions, job trajectories, migration histories, family set ups, religion, gender roles, and many more factors.
“Has their socioeconomic position improved? Do they still plan to look after their elderly relatives at home? What role do religion and gender play on these?
Extending findings
Ayse explained that the funding is enabling her to extend the findings of her previous research into the migration histories of Turks in Europe which researched the lives of 2,000 families of Turkish migrants, comparing them to the families of Turkish men who stayed in Turkey.
She added:
“I am most grateful to the European Research Council for the funding for this project which will answer new research questions on the long-term impact of migration on the Third Generation.”
President of the European Research Council Professor Maria Leptin said:
“ERC Consolidator grants support researchers at a crucial time of their careers, strengthening their independence, reinforcing their teams and helping them establish themselves as leaders in their fields. And this backing above all gives them a chance to pursue their scientific dreams.”