Biographical Learning and Identity (Re)construction: The Migration Experiences of Neža Gerkšič, aka Agnes Lacroix

The article interprets the migration experiences of Neža Gerkšič using the theory of biographical learning. It sees biographical learning as a process that occurs in everyday life and results in the (re)construction of identity, knowledge, skills, attitudes and values. The analysis of the autobiographical story shows how a female migrant used various strategies (adaptation, personal growth, development of an alternative lifestyle, influencing local social rules, innovative learning) to form her knowledge and (re)construct her identity. The article closes by presenting learning strategies that represent a tool that can help in the analysis and interpretation of learning that happens during migration experiences.
KEY WORDS: biographical learning, female migration, identity, autobiographical method, phenomenological research

The article presents the migration experiences of Neža Gerkšič, interpreted through the theory of biographical learning. Biographical learning is seen as a process that occurs during experiences in everyday life that involve the reconstruction of identity, knowledge, skills, attitudes and values. In this process, the subject is a self-reflexive, active “producer” of knowledge and constructs his or her own identity. Learning changes his or her life-world through reflective narratives and reflective practices of everyday life.The study, designed according to the principles of phenomenological methodology, is based on the autobiographical story of the author’s great aunt Neža. The analysis of the autobiographical story, which represents an example of female migration between the two World Wars, shows how a female migrant used different strategies (adaptation, personal growth, development of an alternative style of life, influencing local social rules, innovative learning) to form her knowledge and (re)construct her identity. In selecting this life story, the author has tried to reveal a long-overlooked field of research – women as active subjects of migration proces­ses. Women’s experiences in the prevailing migration studies have often been overlooked and stereotyped, and the potential specificities of their migration experien­ces have been ignored and forgotten. At the end of the article the author presents the learning strategies identified in the study as a tool that can help in the analysis and interpretation of learning that happens during migration experiences.