ERIC Number: ED663554
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 298
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3427-1198-2
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Balkan Brain-Drain in Cosmopolitan Society: A Narrative Approach
Aleksandar Chonevski
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Barry University
This study examined the phenomenon known as Brain Drain and how it affects the identities of educated Balkan immigrants who have emigrated to the United States to study in a university and willingly accept their transformational process as a hybrid identity. Hybrid identities (Smith & Leavy, 2008) of skilled immigrants contribute to the process that facilitates educational exchange by building international networks, teaching globally, gaining new skills with advanced technology, and accepting opportunities for mobile capital (Bourdieu, 1977; Friedman, 2005). This study used a narrative inquiry approach to explore brain drain by analyzing the experiences of highly educated Balkan immigrants in the United States. It focused on key stories and events in participants' lives, revealing insights into the phenomenon of brain drain in the Balkans. The research also examined how participants' identities transformed as they moved from Eastern Europe to the U.S. in search of educational and economic opportunities. This study focused on Balkan-born individuals who had attained at least a bachelor's degree from a U.S. college or university in the U.S. To recruit participants, the researcher distributed flyers at various locations and events. These included the Macedonian Orthodox Church in West Palm Beach, social gatherings in Miami Dade at Haulover Park organized by the Balkan Diaspora, and through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram under the North Macedonian Diaspora page. Additionally, flyers were handed out at the Port of Miami to invite employees working on cruise ships. The interviews were conducted in English, given that all participants had earned at least a bachelor's degree from a U.S. higher education institution. Data were analyzed using MAXQDA software to organize and merge codes. After generating sets of subthemes, the study identified four overarching themes in the participant narratives: a.) Lost ethnic identity in the challenge space, b.) Gained new identity in the new space, c.) Hybrid identity achievement in the intersecting space, and d.) Global identity in the Third Space. These themes illuminate how Balkan professionals and scholars navigate identity shifts while contributing to community development and sustainable progress amidst the brain drain phenomenon. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Brain Drain, Immigrants, Self Concept, Study Abroad, Skilled Workers, Social Networks, Cultural Capital, Social Capital, Higher Education, Educational Attainment, Educational Opportunities, Employment Opportunities, Social Media, Professional Personnel, Churches, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Florida (Miami); Florida; Macedonia; Europe
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A