As part of my thesis work, which focuses on the effects of higher education on the identity construction of immigrant descendants, we wish to examine through questionnaires and a series of exploratory interviews whether there is a link between immigrant background, school and university career, social class (Phillips et al., 2020; Stephens et al., 2012) and identity construction among second-generation immigrant descendants in France. We define identity as a dynamic process composed of personal identity with self-awareness and social identity, which corresponds to identification with a given group: ethnic, social, etc. (Erikson, 1972).

For the purposes of this chapter, we will focus on respondents whose parents are from China. We will see whether themes relating to ethnicity (Barth, 1998 [1969]; Poutignat & Streiff-Fenart, 2008), the class group (Berger & Luckmann, 2018; Bourdieu, 1964; Camilleri et al., 1990; Darmon, 2023) and more generally to the notion of identity, are mentioned by the respondents, depending on the institutions they attended during their school and university careers. We’ll also see whether experiences of discrimination or racism have had an impact on the significance individuals give to their pathways, particularly after the Covid19 period.

The results will provide us with a better understanding of the significance that participants give to their own perceived identity, and allow us to propose further quantitative approaches to understanding the influence of school and university trajectory on the construction of identity among descendants of immigrants, on a larger scale.

Waffa Nekka is a second year PhD student in education sciences at Université de Bordeaux and member of Cultures – Education – Sociétés (UR 7440) unit and the Institut Convergences Migrations, axe INTEGER. As part of her thesis, she explores the link between higher education and the identity construction of immigrant descendants in France and Belgium.

She is currently a visiting researcher at the Center for Social and Cultural Psychology (CesCup) and the Group for research on Ethnic Relations, Migration & Equality (GERME) at Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB).

Following a career in social psychology, Waffa has had a significant career in the non-profit sector, mainly in the field of social equality. Her community work led to the founding of the non-profit organization La Troisième Culture, or The Third Culture, in 2021, which provides a space for dialogue on issues related to culture and identity among young people of immigrant descent. These experiences led her to focus on issues relating to the processes of identification and integration of descendants of immigrants in higher education, and the relationship with mental health.

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