Central and Eastern European Women Academics in the UK
Making Britain Home
Agnieszka Rydzik editor Maria Gebbels editor
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd
Publishing:17th Mar '26
£145.00
This title is due to be published on 17th March, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Central and Eastern European Women Academics in the UK: Making Britain Home brings together creative, reflexive and conceptually-rich contributions from 30 women academics of Central and Eastern European heritage who have established careers in UK higher education.
Through essays, poetry, soundscapes and visual storytelling, the volume explores their migration trajectories, academic working lives, and the ways in which they negotiate identities and construct spaces of belonging within their communities and workplaces. The book situates these widely resonant and universal narratives within the socio-political and economic transformations of post-2004 Britain, including the 2008 financial crisis, the 2016 EU referendum, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ongoing marketisation of higher education. It critically examines the evolving nature of academic labour and the challenges faced by migrant academics in navigating these shifting landscapes.
Central and Eastern European Women Academics in the UK: Making Britain Home is key reading for academics in the UK, Europe and beyond who are navigating the challenging landscape of higher education, as well as scholars in sociology researching migration, identity and belonging.
Migrant women’s search for their place and a new sense of self is particularly relevant in the context of the world today. I could see myself in this book. It really resonated with me and my experiences as a PhD student back in 2004-2010 in the UK. This is a very important collection sharing reflective, personal stories of women academics set against a backdrop of international politics. Making Britain Home is a necessary read, especially when academia is being challenged to meaningfully implement inclusivity and equal opportunities.
Karolina Zioło-Pużuk, Assistant Professor, The Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Secretary of State, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Poland
Stories of migration and mobility, of the search for belonging and (re)making of the self within academic as well as wider contexts of exclusion and othering are brought to life through personal-political reflections about work/life that are powerful, sometimes disturbing, but ultimately uplifting.
Sundari Anitha, Chair in Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield, UK
This ground-breaking collection of reflexive narratives encompasses themes of identity, belonging and placemaking. Told by Central and Eastern European women migrants in academia in Britain, the essays are a triumphant manifestation of resistance, resilience and joy. These women’s stories of ‘making Britain home’ will connect with you on a visceral level – they will make you cry but you will also laugh out loud with delight. These women’s stories emphasise that the personal is indeed political.
Donna Chambers, Professor of Critical Cultural Studies, Northumbria University, UK
This collection of poignant stories helps us to appreciate the challenges faced by female migrant academics across their private and professional lives, often during turbulent times. Above all, these reflective, personal essays show their capacity to exercise agency, offering hope to others within academia (and beyond) that solidarity, emotional intelligence and mentoring are powerful capacities that can help us to thrive. This relatable and instructive edited volume will remain important for future generations of social scientists, historians and to those seeking to understand the experiences of migrant female professionals.
Peter Lugosi, Professor of Culture and Organisation, Oxford Brookes University, UK
ISBN: 9781032987880
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 453g
240 pages