Research

Title of thesis:

African Student Migrants narratives of migration to Europe and the Americas: Identity positions and experiences of racism.

Description of thesis research:

In a world where ethnocentrism and racism are on the rise (Curran & Ladegaard, 2025), and migration narrative discourse, involving African migrants, is becoming increasingly polarized (Seiger et al., 2025), the narratives surrounding the identity positions and experiences of racism by African student migrants (ASMs) require urgent investigation. Given that personal narratives shape social identities through discourse and social interaction (Burr, 2015), this study explores the lived experiences of African student migrants relocating to Europe and the Americas. The study aims to investigate how ASMs perceive and manage possible experiences of racism and stereotypes during their migratory journeys; identify and discuss the role language plays in shaping migrants' identities and experiences; examine ASMs' identity transformations during the migratory process; and determine the short-term and long-term consequences of identity transformations on ASMs' academic and personal trajectories. By employing the interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA) proposed by Smith, Flowers and Larkin (2009), the study analyzes pivotal themes such as identity constructions, possible encounters of racism and stereotypes, language barriers, and social exclusion (or inclusion) from the narratives of 20 ASMs. As a qualitative research design, it employs IPA to provide rich and in-depth insights into ASMs’ personal experiences and perspectives of their lived world. The results of this investigation offer many insights into the intersections of identity, language, and migration narratives within the African context. It will inspire future research on narratives and communication, which contributes positively to migration linguistics, intercultural communication, and sociology. As an original contribution to existing literature, it also offers a unique sequential account of ASMs’ narratives related to identity and racism. Furthermore, it establishes a platform for exploring African identity constructions, which will benefit migrant population workers, policymakers, and advocates for migrant worker NGOs.