Focused Ethnography on Disability and Home-based Care in Scotland in Opinions of Polish Migrants Employed as Caregivers: A Preliminary Research Report

Abstract

Preliminary report on ethnographic research conducted by a team of 4 researchers from Poland in Scotland with the participation of group of economic, migrants from Poland in, employed legally in home-based care in Edinburgh & Livingston. The project was developed and undertaken from April 2017 to April 2018. The main research question was: What kind of disability and care concepts held migrants from Poland employed in home-based care? The collected data from focus groups and individual interviews allowed to generate basic codes and categories of disability and care concepts in the opinions of migrants from Poland. Among them are: the concept of disability and care and detailed subcategories of care, such as: care tasks & duties, care norms & rules, care & taboo, care burdens & difficulties, care values for caregivers, caregivers and artifacts related to home-based care. The research allowed for the development of 3 main themes related to: femininity issues and care for elderly females, concepts of implemented independent living and features of support system.