This paper examines the influence of class on migrants’ social positioning strategies in transnational spaces. It contributes to debates about the processes of transnational class-making and class formation. Going beyond an analysis of class in socio-economic terms, the paper focuses on peoples’ (changing) subjective understandings of middle-class membership as a relevant factor in migrants’ transnational social positioning strategies. Based on qualitative interview data with middle-class migrants in Germany, the presentation relates their experiences with downward social mobility before and after migration to their subjective perspectives on middle-class membership over time and in different places. The findings show that middle-class performance is shaped by migration experiences but also shapes peoples’ mobility trajectories and therefore influences and promotes different transnational lifestyles.

中文翻译：

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流动人口中产阶层的跨国社会定位策略

本文考察了阶级对移民在跨国空间中的社会定位策略的影响。它有助于关于跨国阶级形成和阶级形成过程的辩论。本文超越了社会经济术语中的阶级分析，重点关注人们（不断变化的）对中产阶级成员的主观理解，将其作为移民跨国社会定位策略中的一个相关因素。基于对德国中产阶级移民的定性访谈数据，该演讲将他们在移民前后社会向下流动的经历与他们在不同时间和不同地点对中产阶级成员身份的主观看法联系起来。