Past family experience of forced (im)mobility and current migration intentions: evidence from the post-communist context

The project seeks to address the research question on whether past experience of involuntary immobility as well as of forced mobility in a family may influence current migration intentions of its members. In particular, we would like to know if descendants of those who 1) were willing to go abroad during the communist times but were not allowed to and 2) experienced forced mobility in result of World War II are more likely to report an intention to migrate compared to people without this kind of family experience. We hypothesise that exposure to narratives about unrealised mobility intention predisposes mobility intentions among descendants by increasing their perceptions that migration is an attractive option. We also assume that family experience of forced mobility may have a migration intentions- breeding potential by deeming migration survivable. To test these hypotheses we will use data from the Life in Transition Survey conducted in countries of the former Communist Block.

Duration

2022 - 2022

Source of funding

The Bekker NAWA Programme

Partners

Artjoms Ivlevs, University of the West of England, Bristol