Identity Construction and Dual Belonging within Romanian Community in Austria

Doi: https://doi.org/10.58603/DECE4263

Rezumat: Intra-EU migration generates significant reconfigurations of identity and forms of belonging in the context of interaction between distinct social spaces. This article examines identity construction among Romanian migrants in Austria, with particular attention to dual belonging and the configuration of hybrid identity within the Romanian community. The analysis is grounded in a constructivist perspective, in which identity is conceptualised as a dynamic process shaped by social interactions and everyday experiences. The empirical component is based on a quantitative approach that combines data from a socio-economic survey conducted among the Romanian community in Austria with official statistical data. The study explores the relationship between language practices, social networks, perceptions of belonging, and patterns of everyday life to examine how these dimensions relate to processes of identity construction. The findings indicate a predominant pattern of dual belonging, characterised by differentiated orientations toward both the country of origin and the host society. Contextual language use, sustained social ties, patterns of belonging, and everyday practices reflect identity construction processes in which multiple elements are integrated into a coherent form of hybrid identity. The article proposes an interpretation of dual belonging as a process of identity construction, highlighting the processual and contextual nature of identity in the context of intra-EU mobility.