“Greek youth in crisis: Representations of skilled immigration in social media and pop culture” is a 21-month research project (April 2018-January 2020) funded by the National Strategic Reference Framework Operational Programme “Education and Lifelong Learning” (Call 34: “Support researchers with emphasis on young researchers”) and hosted by the Department of Primary Education of the University of Western Macedonia.

The migration of Greek people abroad is nothing new for Greece. However, since 2010, the phenomenon of migration has acquired anew an astoundingly massive character due to the ongoing economic crisis. Thousands of − mainly young − highly educated and skilled Greeks choose or/and are forced to migrate seeking better prospects and more opportunities to work, satisfactory income and recognition of their qualifications. This kind of migration is broadly known with the neologism brain drain.

Using the lenses of the sociolinguistics of computer-mediated discourse, the sociolinguistics of youth, discourse-centred online ethnography and critical discourse analysis, we aim at contributing to the understanding of the wider social, cultural and psychological impact of brain drain on Greek immigrants themselves as well as on Greek society.

For more information, you can contact us at greekyouthincrisis@gmail.com.