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Abstract While Niue’s resident population is below 1,500, New Zealand’s Niuean population now exceeds 22,000. The vast and recent out-migration is resulting in many changes to on-island Niuean society and culture. Much research on Polynesian migration focuses on out-migrants and their new place of living, especially in relation to Tongan and Samoan migration. While drawing on the theoretical insights of previous research, this thesis focuses on the less researched Polynesian nation of Niue as the cultural homeland of Niuean out-migrants, to investigate how their on-island culture is changing as a result of the significant out-migration of its residents that began in the late 1960s. It uses the analytical lens of culture and migration to understand in greater detail the social and cultural changes in Niue by the contemporary migration. Using ethnographic field research the thesis examines and analyses the impact of ‘cultural migration’ in relation to the central aspects of on-island Niuean social and cultural change, ranging from everyday life occurrences to once in a lifetime events. The thesis examines changes involving such items as language, Niuean youth haircutting and ear-piercing ceremonies, food habits, Niuean entertainment, arts and crafts, family and more. From ethnographic data collected in Niue and among the out-migrant Niuean community in New Zealand, the thesis argues that on-island Niueans are taking on the characteristics of out-migrant Niueans. Although New Zealand administered Niue for many years and still has a role in Niue’s status as a Pacific island-nation, Niueans themselves have been most responsible for the changes influencing their on-island society and culture.

If one takes a snapshot of Romanian migration, the first observation might be that the home villages or communities are very different. This is also the conclusion that Massey et al. (1994) first reach when comparing Mexican communities. However, if one compares migrant communities in a longitudinal manner, it can be seen rather that they are converging towards similar migration patterns rather than diverging. To explore this, I conducted fieldwork research in two villages from different socio-cultural regions of Romania, and for the second phase of the research followed the migrants to their destinations in Spain. In total I conducted more than 50 biographical narrative interviews with migrants and fifteen in-depth interviews with representatives from local authorities and other key informants on rural Romanian life. The biographical narrative interviews allowed me to take a longitudinal perspective on the migration from the two villages. The aim in comparing the two villages was to understand the internal logic of migration and examine to what extent two different villages showed any syncretism through cumulative structural effects. Analysing migrants’ projects, the family migration and the general migration from the two villages – each accounting for different levels of analysis – allowed me to specify the stages of migration. In the thesis, firstly I explain the socio-economic, cultural and geographical context in the origin community which shapes migration. Secondly, I compare the migration patterns of two families from the two villages, and thirdly I abstract three migration projects specific to the two communities. All these allow me to show that the two villages are at different stages in the migration process (Massey et al. 1994) and also to explain the mechanism of passing from one stage to the next. So far, the literature on migration policies has looked at the receiving countries. Few references are made to the origin countries, and these refer to Mexico, the Philippines and some of the Northern African countries, countries which have an active policy of promoting migration. Literature with regard to the European cases – for example Serbia, which has a Ministry of the Diaspora, or Poland, a country with a very long history emigration – is absent. Moreover, topics such as grounded migration policy making or the local dimension of policy making are still new in the reflexion of scholars. The thesis fills this gap with respect to migration policies of bonding migrants and involving them in development in the home community. The theory that holds together all these components is Luhmann’s systems theory (1995), in the way it was adapted to migration research by Bommes (2005) and Bommes and Tacke (2006a, 2006b). Using systems theory allows me to perform a critique of concepts like migration networks and transnationalism, which are very often used in the analysis of migration.

My thesis is focusing on Muslim pupil position in the Czech elementary school. It is an actual topic of the Czech school system together with foreign pupil education generally. Pupils are educated in the multicultural era and for this reason it is essential to deal with this topic. I am explaining the selection of the topic within the introduction of my thesis. Theoretical part is introducing topic related information, arranged logically to make a meaningful text. Within this part is described who belongs to this group, what they have in common, how they differ, how they have affected Europe and the Czech Republic from the past to the present. In addition, I am describing the outcome of Muslim integration to the society, view on their differences and of course the Czech elementary schools approach to this topic. To find out the situation of Muslim pupil within the education process in the Czech elementary school system is the objective of the empirical part of my thesis. To get the findings on the Muslim pupil in the elementary school, I have used the observation method. The case interpretation is recorded in this part. Not to focus only on the Muslim pupil, I have made structured interviews with other five home teachers in the same school.

The thesis is deal with Czech-Islamic marriages from the viewpoint of gender. The first part characterises the basic concepts, marriage traditions in a purely Czech society, the issue of gender in the Czech marriage, marriage traditions in a truly Islamic society, Islamic marriage, gender issues, gender issues in Czech-Islamic marriage, the ethical impact of migration, including the ethical impact of cultural migration, potential misuse of the Institute to ensure family reunification residence permit in the Czech Republic, an example of migration, with specific policy approach in France. The practical part includes a rationale for selecting the research sample, showing the chosen research methodology. Based on the interviews is confirmed by the hypothesis of the thesis that the cultural influence of gender, as a bearer of a different conception of the of man-woman gender in Islamic culture, and Czech, respectively. Czech-Islamic marriages is a significant factor in causing marital disharmony. Mutual two-way cultural knowledge, as well as the presence of tolerance, love and truth, is a prerequisite to guarantee the functional relationship. This fact is verified by the Czech-Islamic couple, in the final case report.