Forging a Linguistic Identity, Overseas-trained South Asian Doctors in the UK

Abstract

Contemporary social policy debates on community cohesion in the UK appear to have very prescribed identities for migrants centred around on concepts of ‘Britishness’, having ‘common values’ and one national language, that is, English, for their successful integration. This paper draws on an empirical study of the integration and identity experiences of overseas-trained South Asian Doctors in the UK. The study involved in-depth interviews with 27 overseas-trained South Asian doctors practicing as general practitioners (GPs) in three geographical locales with varying ethnic density and urban/rural mix in the UK. The study set out to explore how this group of highly skilled migrants integrated into the UK society, perceived their identities and whether they had acquired a sense of belonging to Britain. The key concepts examined included identity, context of migration, structural and socio-cultural integration. Their narratives show that while they drew on certain sections of British society for recognition and realisation of opportunity by embedding themselves in local social contexts, they also drew strength from their own religious/cultural and linguistic resources. This included engaging with the revolutionary writings of their own poets and scholars as a way of creative thinking, innovating and dealing with adversity. In addition to the adaptation and dealing with adversity in the UK, the evidence shows that South Asian languages have played a significant role in maintaining transnational identities.

Ethnographic Analysis of “Safe Zone” Concept in Migration in Global Perspective

“…In the case of European countries, the study of shows that there is a cordial nexus between migration and culture in the context of migration from rural areas of South Asian countries to European Union countries via migration to the Middle East because South Asian migrant labourers migrate from the Middle East to European countries with hopes of higher wages with the glamour of European countries. A study by Farooq (2021) shows that consequences of cultural migration gives a cultural space to South Asian migrants in European culture in the sense of positivity of cultural migration in the context of globalization. A study by Kesici (2021) shows, Turkey is the gate way for migration from Asian countries to developed European countries due to the availability of the well-developed route of cultural migration from Asia to European countries via Turkey.…”

South Asian Migrants in United Arab Emirates: Impact and Challenges

“…Professional South Asian doctors are integrated with Britishers as well as following the culture of United Kingdom. Additionally, South Asian doctors are representing their South Asian culture by their native languages and cultural practices in United Kingdom (Farooq, 2021). In these consequences, major problem of this research work is based on the study of impact of South Asian culture on Arabian culture in the periphery of integration between South Asian migrants and Arabians with problem of identity of South Asian migrants in United Arab Emirates.…”