The Experience of Labour Emigration in the Life of Married Women: The Case of Podlasie, Poland

Abstract

AbstractIn this paper, I focus on the experiences of female labour migrants, looking particularly at the emigration of married women from a region with a long‐established culture of emigration, in the context of the accession of Poland to the European Union. The paper is empirical in its content and is based mainly on emigration stories and narratives recorded in the form of biography or autobiography. I discuss different stages of the migration process – the decision to migrate; the experience of migration (in particular, with reference to its impact on families, both abroad and at home), and also the consequences of migration for Polish society, particularly with reference to family cohesion and changing gender roles.