LYMAS Project

Life strategies of Young Labour Migrants in Ageing Societies (LYMAS): Exploring the impact of demographic changes on migrants

The LYMAS project aims to shed light on the experiences of young labor migrants within the context of ageing societies. By focusing on how younger migrants navigate the implications of ageing family, community, and societal environments, the project seeks to address a significant gap in research.

Historically, the effects of an ageing society on younger generations, especially those who are migrants or belong to ethnic and cultural minorities, have been underexplored. LYMAS aims to fill this gap by examining how these intersecting dynamics of mineralization and exclusion interact with the broader realities of living in an ageing societal context.

Key objectives of the LYMAS project include:

• Impact of Ageing Demographics: Investigating how young migrants and their families influence and are influenced by ageing demographics and related societal changes, with a focus on regional, national, and transnational developments.
• Effect of Ageing Kin Networks: Exploring how ageing family networks and multi-generational dynamics affect young migrants' life trajectories, including their relationships, family planning, lifelong learning, work, and social inequality.
• Support Networks and Elder Care: Understanding the role of young migrants in supporting their elderly relatives, especially in contexts where elder care provision may be inadequate or uneven.
• Demographic Changes and Intergenerational Relationships: Analyzing how societal changes driven by demographics impact the roles, obligations, and relationships of young migrants, including emerging intergenerational dependencies.
• Intergenerational Kin Keeping: Examining the nature and purpose of intergenerational kin keeping among young migrants, as well as the associated costs and benefits.

In the project the MCI research team employs a multifaceted methodology, combining policy analysis and expert interviews with participatory and visual methods. This approach allows for a comprehensive examination of both the political and social macro-contexts and the perspectives of young migrants themselves.

By exploring the experiences of young labor migrants in Germany, Switzerland, Poland, and Austria – countries with diverse socio-economic and cultural contexts – the LYMAS project aims to provide valuable insights into the regional and transnational dynamics of population ageing. It seeks to understand how demographic changes impact migrants and offers perspectives on policy responses to these challenges.