ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 is an introduction which outlines the rationale for this book and sets the context. It aims to draw the reader to the idea of this book on conviviality which offers a counter-narrative to the dominant discourses on migrants by exploring everyday interaction in multicultural cities of Manchester and Barcelona from the perspective of Polish migrant women though the lens of conviviality which is understood as a dynamic process of living together at the local level. While there is a growing body of research on gender and migration, this book stresses the importance of migrant women’s experiences of daily encounters in multi-ethnic societies, not only with the native population but also with settled ethnic minorities and other migrants by focusing on multiple locations, including neighbourhoods, workplaces, educational facilities, family spaces and homes. By introducing a comparative lens, it allows the exploration of the ways in which conviviality is experienced in both Manchester and Barcelona with attention to multiple settings, including social, political, cultural, national and local contexts which are outlined in this introduction.
