Polish construction workers in Reykjavik

by Álfrún Sigurgeisdóttir

The process of “immersion” into the majority community, like any social process, should be analyzed from two perspectives: that of the minority, and of the majority. In this chapter, interest is directed at how Poles perceive Icelanders, but also how Icelanders perceive Poles. The image of Polish construction workers among Icelandic employers is described. The author addresses the question of what is the perception of Polish workers as compared with other nationalities, what are their perceived virtues and what defects make working with them difficult.

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