Peer Groups and Migration

Goals

1) To explore the role of home town and local community (locality) in the school-to-work transitions, on the domestic and foreign labour market, in reference to young men and women.

2) To investigate the role of parents and relatives in school-to-work transition, on the domestic and foreign labour market, in reference to young men and women;

3) To study the role of a peer group in school-to-work transitions, on the domestic and  foreign labour market, in reference to young men and women;

4) To explore the role of new media and online social networks in the school-to-work transition, on domestic and foreign labour market, in reference to young men and women;

5) To investigate whether young people use the knowledge acquired in educational institutions on the labor market and how they apply the experience gained while working abroad, after returning to Poland.

What Do We Already Know

The school-to-work transition is not a one-time event in the lives of young people. Rather, it is a phase that may last a few years and include several career changes. It is also a time, when young people typically decide on the future direction of their lives.

After the accession of Poland to the European Union in May 2004, one in three young people from rural areas and small towns have decided to look for their first job outside of Poland. Young people have declared financial reasons as the main cause of leaving their home towns. However, further research has also shown other motivation for migration, including a desire to leave the family home, mustering courage to become independent, the matter of self-confidence, and taking responsibility of their own lives.

Additionally, young people have mentioned a wish to change their lifestyle, to start fresh in a new group of people, which was often defined as a multicultural city that offers anonymity. For them migration is also an escape from the socially imposed traditional life path: school-career-marriage-children-mortgage.