In a world where individualistic values are highly valued, migrant workers define their labour market interests (and the means to achieve these) in individual terms. When it comes to the characteristics of modern migrants living under the constant feeling that they cannot control their own lives, the paradoxical sense often accompanies these intense feelings. Migrants see themselves simultaneously as capable of influencing individual prospects in the labour market and employment conditions and deeply responsible for their destinies. The result is alienation from collectivism, which refers to how migrant workers express their labour market interests (particularly concerning wages and working conditions) and, more importantly, the means to achieve them collectively. 

Due to the specificity of society, where the spectrum of necessary and sufficient conditions is vast, there are difficulties in determining causal relationships. This is also why the comparative method is the most suitable analytical tool for studying social phenomena. One of the leading cutting edge of the project The formation of worker collectivism among migrant workers in Denmark, Germany and the UK is its comparative approach. The project will compare the different contexts in which migrant workers are located in the three countries to illuminate the main factors explaining how collectivism emerges.

The United Kingdom has been known for its liberal market economy, which is characterized by a high degree of economic freedom and minimal government intervention. Deregulation is an important aspect of this economic system, as it aims to reduce government regulations and create a more open and competitive market. Today, the UK continues to pursue a liberal market economy, with a focus on deregulation and reducing government intervention in the economy, as well as de-collectivisation.

As a practical methodological approach, the slow comparativism (Almond & Connolly, 2020) will enable long-term engagement with the social contexts of the UK as a representative of a liberal market economy to gain deep and context-sensitive data that is locally relevant. Since collectivism is not a statical phenomenon, and it can occur among migrant workers in a different context, it is essential to investigate these occurrences or spurs of collectivism while they take place. 

As a visiting researcher at the University of Manchester, a university centre and an urban prototype of an industrial city, I will inquire about migrants' collectivist perceptions, norms, and labour market strategies to improve their working life. The research techniques entail conducting in-depth qualitative interviews with migrants (using vignette methodology) and experts and organisational representatives (unions, employer associations, employers), as well as ethnographic field observations with embedded presence, thus emphasising the role of being present within the social context. While the project is not exclusively focused on them, the research will primarily revolve around agricultural/horticultural migrant workers in the UK.