Migrants as Agents of Change: Social Remittances in an Enlarged European Union (Migration, Diasporas and Citizenship)

This Book Offers A Unique And Innovative Way Of Looking At The Paradoxical Consequences Of Human Mobility. Based On A Three-year Transnational Multi-sited Longitudinal Research Project, It Demonstrates That Not All Migrants Acquire, Transfer And Implement Social Remittances In The Same Way. Whilst The Circulation Of Ideas, Norms And Practices Is An Important Aspect Of Modernity, Acts Of Resistance, Imitation And Innovation Mean That Whilst Some Migrants Become Ordinary Agents Of Social Change In Their Local Microcosms, Others May Contest That Change. By Putting This Individual Agency Centre Stage, The Authors Trace How Social Remittances Are Evolving, And The Ambiguous Impact That They Have On Society. This Thought-provoking Work Will Appeal To Students And Scholars Of Sociology, Geography And Anthropology.-- Acknowledgements; Contents; List Of Tables; List Of Charts; List Of Maps; 1: Introduction: Social Remittances And Hand-made Change By Migrants; 1.1 Socio-demographic Portrait Of Migrating Poles Since Eu Enlargement In May 2004; 1.2 Social Remittances, Hand-made Social Change And Research Questions; 1.3 Context-dependency Of Migration And Change: Three Communities Under Study; 2: Process Of Transfer Of Social Remittances In The European Union; 2.1 Introduction; 2.2 Social Remittances In Migration Studies; 2.3 Theoretical Concepts And Process Of Social Remitting. 2.4 Social Indicators Of Social Remittances2.5 Acquisition Of Social Remittances; 2.6 Transfer Of Social Remittances; 2.7 Outcomes Of Transfer Of Social Remittances; 2.8 Resistance To Social Remittances; 2.9 Conceptual Model And Summary; 3: Transnational Multisited Qualitative Longitudinal Research In Investigating Social Remittances And Change; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Method: Transnational Multisited Qualitative Longitudinal Research; 3.3 Sampling Case Sites And People; Going Local: Sampling Case Sites And Revisiting Them; Sampling People And Maintaining Them In The Panel Research. Local Observers Migrants And Returnees; 3.4 Management Of Data Collection And Simultaneity Of Field Researchers; 4: Researched Communities In Poland And In The Uk: Transnational Spaces Of Diffusion And Social Remittances; 4.1 Introduction; 4.2 Sokolka; Outline Of The History Of The Town; Pre-accession Migration In The Community; Eu Accession; Migration To The Uk; 4.3 Pszczyna; Outline Of The History Of The Town; Pre-accession Migration In The Community; Eu Accession; Migration To The Uk; 4.4 Trzebnica; Outline Of The History Of The Town; Pre-accession Migration In The Community. Eu Accession Migration To The Uk; 4.5 Summary; 5: Observing, Acquiring, Resisting: Migrants' Agency In The Web Of Social Remittances; 5.1 Introduction; 5.2 Facing Novelty: Migrants In New Context; 5.3 Norms Of Civility And Living With Strangers; 5.4 Acquiring Tolerance?; Ways Of Being, Ways Of Resisting; 5.5 Place-making And Remittances; 5.6 Summary; 6: Collective Outcomes Of Social Remittances: Reactions Of Local Communities (acceptance And Resistance); 6.1 Introduction; 6.2 Transfer Of Migratory Novelties To Communities; 6.3 Ways Of Transfer. 6.4 Changes In Local Communities And The Collective Effect Of Social Remittances6.5 Outcomes Of Transfer; Individual Outcomes; Collective Outcomes Of Migration Transfer; 6.6 No Changes; 6.7 Factors That Inhibit Cultural Diffusion: Social Resistance In The Studied Communities; 6.8 Concluding Remarks; 7: Migrants As Agents Of Micro Social Changes; 7.1 Introduction; 7.2 Individuals, Social Remittances, Agency And Change; 7.3 How Agents Of Change Are Filtered Out From The Wider Samples; 7.4 Testimonials Of Agents Of Change. Izabela Grabowska, Michal P. Garapich, Ewa Jaźwińska, Agnieszka Radziwinowiczówna. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Acknowledgements 7 Contents 9 List of Tables 11 List of Charts 12 List of Maps 13 1: Introduction: Social Remittances and “Hand-Made” Change by Migrants 14 1.1 Socio-demographic Portrait of Migrating Poles Since EU Enlargement in May 2004 17 1.2 Social Remittances, “Hand-Made” Social Change and Research Questions 18 1.3 Context-Dependency of Migration and Change: Three Communities Under Study 20 2: Process of Transfer of Social Remittances in the European Union 24 2.1 Introduction 24 2.2 Social Remittances in Migration Studies 26 2.3 Theoretical Concepts and Process of Social Remitting 30 2.4 Social Indicators of Social Remittances 34 2.5 Acquisition of Social Remittances 36 2.6 Transfer of Social Remittances 38 2.7 Outcomes of Transfer of Social Remittances 39 2.8 Resistance to Social Remittances 40 2.9 Conceptual Model and Summary 46 3: Transnational Multisited Qualitative Longitudinal Research in Investigating Social Remittances and Change 48 3.1 Introduction 48 3.2 Method: Transnational Multisited Qualitative Longitudinal Research 50 3.3 Sampling Case Sites and People 54 Going Local: Sampling Case Sites and Revisiting Them 57 Sampling People and Maintaining Them in the Panel Research 60 Local Observers 60 Migrants and Returnees 61 3.4 Management of Data Collection and Simultaneity of Field Researchers 62 4: Researched Communities in Poland and in the UK: Transnational Spaces of Diffusion and Social Remittances 65 4.1 Introduction 65 4.2 Sokolka 68 Outline of the History of the Town 68 Pre-accession Migration in the Community 73 EU Accession 74 Migration to the UK 79 4.3 Pszczyna 88 Outline of the History of the Town 89 Pre-accession Migration in the Community 93 EU Accession 94 Migration to the UK 95 4.4 Trzebnica 104 Outline of the History of the Town 104 Pre-accession Migration in the Community 107 EU Accession 108 Migration to the UK 108 4.5 Summary 118 5: Observing, Acquiring, Resisting: Migrants’ Agency in the Web of Social Remittances 123 5.1 Introduction 123 5.2 Facing Novelty: Migrants in New Context 125 5.3 Norms of Civility and Living with Strangers 129 5.4 Acquiring Tolerance? 134 Ways of Being, Ways of Resisting 137 5.5 Place-making and Remittances 146 5.6 Summary 148 6: Collective Outcomes of Social Remittances: Reactions of Local Communities (Acceptance and Resistance) 149 6.1 Introduction 149 6.2 Transfer of Migratory Novelties to Communities 150 6.3 Ways of Transfer 152 6.4 Changes in Local Communities and the Collective Effect of Social Remittances 158 6.5 Outcomes of Transfer 160 Individual Outcomes 163 Collective Outcomes of Migration Transfer 166 6.6 No Changes 171 6.7 Factors that Inhibit Cultural Diffusion: Social Resistance in the Studied Communities 172 6.8 Concluding Remarks 179 7: Migrants as Agents of Micro Social Changes 180 7.1 Introduction 180 7.2 Individuals, Social Remittances, Agency and Change 181 7.3 How Agents of Change Are Filtered Out from the Wider Samples 185 7.4 Testimonials of Agents of Change 189 7.5 Testimonial of the Cosmetician from Sokolka: “Beauty Parlour as a Space for Diffusing Social Remittances” 189 Social Portrait 189 Acquisition and Agency 190 Transfer and Its Outcomes and Agency 191 7.6 Testimonial of the Bar Tender in Pszczyna: “Bar Counter as a Space for Diffusing Social Remittances” 197 Social Portrait 197 Acquisition and Agency 198 Transfer and Its Outcomes and Agency 203 7.7 Testimonial of the Town Socialiser: “Network of Friends and Social Life as Spaces for Diffusing Social Remittances” 206 Social Portrait 206 Acquisition and Agency 209 Transfer and Its Outcomes and Agency 210 7.8 Testimonial of the Nurse in Trzebnica: “Nursing Home as a Space for Diffusing Social Remittances” 212 Social Portrait 212 Acquisition and Agency 215 Transfer and Its Outcomes and Agency 217 7.9 Concluding Remarks 220 8: Conclusions 226 Bibliography 235 Index 252 ‘An important contribution to debates about migration and social change. Based on interdisciplinary, longitudinal research on migration between three Polish communities and the United Kingdom in post-accession Europe, Grabowska and her colleagues carefully unpack how social remittance transfers actually work. In a world in which sending governments look increasingly to emigrants’ economic and social contributions, this book is an invaluable guide to how and when innovation, or resistance to it, occur.’ – Peggy Levitt, Wellesley College and Harvard University, USA This book offers a unique and innovative way of looking at the paradoxical consequences of human mobility. Based on a three-year transnational multi-sited longitudinal research project, it demonstrates that not all migrants acquire, transfer and implement social remittances in the same way. Whilst the circulation of ideas, norms and practices is an important aspect of modernity, acts of resistance, imitation and innovation mean that whilst some migrants become ordinary agents of social change in their local microcosms, others may contest that change. By putting this individual agency centre stage, the authors trace how social remittances are evolving, and the ambiguous impact that they have on society. This thought-provoking work will appeal to students and scholars of sociology, geography and anthropology Front Matter....Pages i-xv Introduction: Social Remittances and “Hand-Made” Change by Migrants....Pages 1-10 Process of Transfer of Social Remittances in the European Union....Pages 11-34 Transnational Multisited Qualitative Longitudinal Research in Investigating Social Remittances and Change....Pages 35-51 Researched Communities in Poland and in the UK: Transnational Spaces of Diffusion and Social Remittances....Pages 53-110 Observing, Acquiring, Resisting: Migrants’ Agency in the Web of Social Remittances....Pages 111-136 Collective Outcomes of Social Remittances: Reactions of Local Communities (Acceptance and Resistance)....Pages 137-167 Migrants as Agents of Micro Social Changes....Pages 169-214 Conclusions....Pages 215-223 Back Matter....Pages 225-251