Author: Małgorzata Malec Rawiński

Edition: Volume 57, Number 3, November 2017

Summary: The general aim of this paper is to present some insights into Polish senior immigrants in Sweden. In particular, it seeks to identify and illustrate the important contribution of previous generations of Polish senior immigrants in building on the diverse culture, traditions and values of the Polish community (Polonia) in Sweden. The paper considers what it means to be an older (age 65+ year) Polish immigrant in Sweden. A biographical method was used in this research to gain these insights. The research evidence was largely collected by means of narrative interviews. Life history is one of the ways to gain insights into the experiences of individuals. A narrative output is never an isolated product. There is always a close link between narrative and other social, cultural and ideological contexts. This paper emphasizes that stories and participant experiences will make more sense if there is a good understanding of the broader contexts in which the individual’s story and experiences are embedded. Because of its brevity, the focus of this paper is an in-depth rendition of one older woman’s learning experiences in adjusting from war-torn Poland to Sweden.

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 57:3. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.