Migration-related Identity, Sense of Belonging and Labour Market Outcomes in the UK

The aim of this mixed-methods thesis is to explore the relationship between the experience of migration, national identity and economic outcomes. More specifically, it sets out to determine how migration experiences and attitudes to migration have shaped and changed the sense of belonging of ethnic minorities and sub-state national groups to multicultural Britain over the last two decades, and whether such identities are linked to differences in labour market outcomes. To achieve this, the thesis will comprise three key elements. The first substantive chapter, using a rich nationally representative longitudinal study, will present latent class analysis to characterise potential identity 'types' and their changes over time. The second chapter will present these identity 'types' as predictors of a range of labour market outcomes, to identify the relationship between labour market (change) and identity. The third chapter will employ narrative analysis of life course experiences of respondents sampled on the basis of their identity 'type' to understand the specific social processes behind the relationship between identity and economic outcomes.