Organized in collaboration with the research project “Prostitution, Gender and Migration” (Progemi):

Experiencing Norway. Some highlights of Russian-speaking au pairs’ migrant narratives

Olga Tkach (Centre for Independent Social Research, St Petersburg)

In this presentation I discuss some preliminary outcomes of the current research project aimed to examine daily practices and private commitments undertaken by ‘Slavic’ au pairs and their hosts families living in Norway. My empirical data is based on in-depth interviews with current and former au pairs arrived to Norway from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova; members of host families; experts working in au pair agencies and Norwegian Directorate of Immigration. Although many other topics are coming up, in this presentation I am focused on the advantages of au pairing as a period of discovery mobility. Besides social resources being obtained during a two-year program, various perceptions of Noway/Norwegians vs sending countries will be discovered, as well as the ways of constructing the Self in the situation of short-term migration.

Olga Tkach, Ph.D., is a researcher at the Centre for Independent Social Research, St.Petersburg, Russia. Since October 2010, she is being hosted as a guest researcher by Fafo Institute for Applied International Studies, Oslo. Her current project “Russian and Ukrainian Female Au pairs in Norway: Public Arrangements and Private Commitments” (RUFA) is supported by the Research Council of Norway (YGGDASIL mobility programme).

Time: 13 April 2011, 12.15-14.00
Venue: Uni Rokkansenteret, Nygårdsgaten 5, 6. etg (5th Floor)

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