Childbearing and parental decisions of intra-EU migrants. A biographical analysis of Polish...

Department of Political and Social Sciences

Childbearing and parental decisions

of intra-EU migrants.

A biographical analysis

of Polish post-accession migrants

to the UK and Italy.

Presentation for PhD thesis defence, 15 January 2015,

European University Institute, Florence,

Weronika Kloc-Nowak


Rationale for the research project

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1100

2002

census

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Italy

UK

Rest

of EU

Stock of temporary migrants from Poland in selected

countries and EU, Polish CSO’s estimates 2002-2012. (Central Statistical Office, 2013)

United Kingdom:

2004 massive inflow

2008 limited outflow

2011 stock rebuilding

2011 no 1 CoB of

foreign mothers:

20,000+ births

Italy:

Pre 2004 larger stock

2004 -2006 increase

Since 2006 slow

growth, no downturns

over 500 Polish

children born 2011+

Less Polish children –

naturalisation? 2


State of the Art: Poles in the UK Beginning: competitive, flexible and disposable

Early diagnosis: ‘intentional unpredictability’

(Eade, Drinkwater, Garapich, 2007)

Mechanisms: networks (White & Ryan, 2008; Moskal, 2013);

family migration

(White, 2010; Moskal, 2011; Ryan and Sales, 2013);

‘normalcy’ (Galasińska & Kozłowska, 2009);

(McGhee, Heath, & Trevena, 2012);

‘drifters’ turn into ‘career migrants’

(Trevena, 2013). 3


State of the Art: Poles in Italy Begining:

female carers, male construction workers

circulation, incomplete migration

(Rosińska-Kordasiewicz 2005, Golemo et al. 2006)

Integration mechanisms:

family reunification, marriage to Italian men

children in Italian schools,

speaking Italian, long stay, naturalisation,

professional upward mobility

(Rosińska- Kordasiewicz, 2005; Kowalska-Angelelli, 2007;

Małek, 2011; Kowalska-Angelelli & Pelliccia, 2012)

4


Research questions

How do post-accession migrants from

Poland perceive and decide about their

fertility and parenting in the context of

intra-EU migration?

In what ways do family dynamics and

family plans for future affect the mobile

Poles’ migratory projects in the long term?

5


Fertility: theories, models, hypotheses

6

Migration disrupts family life, hence it lowers initial fertility.

Migration is interrelated with union formation, hence it elevates

initial fertility levels.

Migrants had been socialised into norms on family in their home

country, hence they display fertility patterns of that country.

Convergence of fertility level to that of the host society results from

migrants’ adaptation to the local socio-economic conditions.

Similarity of fertility patterns of the immigrants and natives results

from migrants self-selecting to a country the norms and way of

living of which they share or aspire to. (Kulu, 2005; Milewski, 2007)

Theories of Freedman, Easterlin, Bongarts (Okólski, 2004), Biosocial

model (Foster 2000); Life-course perspective (Huinink & Kohli 2014).


Methods of analysis

Sociological life-course approach

Biographical narrative method

Grounded theory

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8

Data collection Families with members who have last moved to Italy or the UK

after Poland’s accession to the EU;

People who moved at the age of 18-49 (adult, reproductive age);

Who have been in a relationship during migration (or were for at

least 6 months);

Who have lived in Italy or the UK for at least 6 months.

Recruited on the Internet, diaspora meetings, personal ties.

Individual narrative or family interviews, with a few open

questions at the end.

24 interviewees in Italy, 19 in the UK; both 58% of women.


Family situation of the interviewees

2

1

3

18

IT not in relationship

at the time of

interview in LAT

relationship

cohabiting

married

Relationship:

single 3

2

3

11

UK

8

7

8

1 IT

0

1

2

3

5

7

5

2 UK

Number of children:

9


Migrants’ paths to childbearing Speaking in terms of preparation, not disruption (BOTH);

Unplanned pregnancy – interrelated events (IT), puzzle (UK)

Socialisation:

deciding for pregnancy at younger age than natives (BOTH);

mothers with children born earlier in Poland expressed little interest in having more at older age (BOTH);

referring the ‘ideal’ to one’s family of origin (UK).

Self-selection or adaptation?

career oriented - postponing beyond 35yrs (IT);

larger families (UK);

unplanned or single motherhood (UK).

10


Arranging childcare in migrant families

Calculating income net of childcare costs (BOTH);

Parental concern for the child and oneself when relying on employed

carers (BOTH);

Non-traditional gender role division (BOTH).

11

UK

Chosen family lifestyle – living

together, devoting time to

children, leisure time together.

Through: single breadwinner

welfare benefits.

Longer maternity paid by the

employer.

IT

Mothers’ work on the night shift -

convenient matching of work shifts

or a poor job with no alternative?

Longer maternity as a sectoral

priviledge ( tied to a job defined as

risky).


Decisions regarding education

Knowledge of the education systems, crucial ages;

(Sales et al. 2010; Ryan and Sales, 2013; Ackers &Stalford 2008)

School education turning parents into tied stayers

(Ackers & Stalford, 2008)

Education in the UK: high stake and high cost for those

with higher SES and aspirations.

Children’s knowledge of the Polish language – varied

opinions, important in family relations, not as an asset.

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Family homes: in Poland and abroad

Housing as an aspect of preparation for parenthood;

Housing improvement trajectories:

Easily changing privately rented flats (UK)

Housing benefits (UK)

Non-profit construction sector, subsidised flats (IT)

Investment in housing: its perception changes with

time.

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Migrants’ future plans in

intergenerational perspective

Migrant parents become tied stayers through (BOTH):

Education – observed

Grandchildren - foreseen

Different vision of future of the only children (BOTH):

Natural obligation to care – and to return?

Emotional cost of ties to both countries (IT)

Strategies of assistance based on residence abroad (IT)

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Migratory paths of Polish migrants

Love migrants speak of sacrifice instead of romantic

love, and are critical about their situation in Italy

(cf. Małek 2011)

Transformation: from circulating care worker to

family re-unification abroad, end of transnational

parenthood;

Delayed post-accession migration;

’Pace of change’ – contributing to decisions on

staying in the UK.

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Conclusions Contribution to literature on Polish families in the UK;

(White, 2010; Ryan and Sales 2013, Moskal 2011)

Developing literature on family life of Poles in Italy;

(Golemo et al. 2006; Kowalska-Agnelelli & Pelliccia 2012)

Contribution to the qualitative studies into the Poles’

fertility preferences;

(Marczak 2010, 2012; Janta, 2013)

Migrant Poles in the UK as an instance of migrants from

the lowest low fertility to a country with a higher fertility.

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Annex: References Ackers, L., & Stalford, H. (2008). Multiple life-courses? The impact of children on migration processes. In L. Ackers & B. Gill (Eds.), Moving people and knowledge. Cheltenham

Northampton: Edward Elgar.

Central Statistical Office. (2013). Informacja o rozmiarach i kierunkach emigracji z Polski w latach 2004 – 2012. Warsaw: GUS.

Eade, J., Drinkwater, S., & Garapich, M. P. (2007). Class and ethnicity: Polish migrant workers in London: full research report. ESRC end of award report. Swindon: ESRC.

Foster, C. (2000). The limits to low fertility: a biosocial approach. Population and Development Review, 26(2), 209-234. Galasińska, A., & Kozłowska, O. (2009). Discourses of a 'normal life' among post-accession migrants from Poland to Britain. In K. Burrell (Ed.), Polish migration to the UK in the 'New'

European Union after 2004 (pp. 87-105). Aldershot: Ashgate. Golemo, K., K. Kowalska-Angelelli, F. Pittau & A. Ricci (Eds.) (2006), Polonia. Nouvo paese di frontiera. Da migranti a comunitari (pp. 184-201). Roma: Caritas Italiana.

Huinink, J., & Kohli, M. (2014). A life-course approach to fertility. Demographic Research, 30(45), 1293–1326. Janta, B. (2013). Polish migrants' reproductive behaviour in the United Kingdom. Studia Migracyjne - Przegląd Polonijny(3), 63-95.

Kowalska-Angelelli, K. (2007). Polscy imigranci we Włoszech: Trendy migracyjne, rynek pracy i system zabezpieczenia społecznego przed i po 1 maja 2004 r. CMR Working Papers, 17/75, Kowalska-Angelelli, K., & Pelliccia, A. (2012). Wykwalifikowane imigrantki z Polski na włoskim rynku pracy: case study w prowincji Rzymu. Studia Migracyjne - Przeglad Polonijny,

XXXVIII(3), 73-110. Kulu, H. (2005). Migration and fertility: competing hypotheses re-examined. European Journal of Population/ Révue Européenne de Démographie, 21(1), 51-87.

Małek, A. (2011). Migrantki - opiekunki: doświadczenia migracyjne Polek pracujących w Rzymie. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego. Marczak, J. (2010). Childbearing intentions of Polish men and women in Poland and the UK: Progression to the second child. Paper presented at the Conference "From intentions to

behaviour: reproductive decision-making in a macro-micro perspective". Marczak, J. (2012). The role of transnational groups of reference in understanding resources necessary for childbearing-Poles living in Poland and the UK. Paper presented at the British

Society for Population Studies annual conference. Retrieved from http://www.researchgate.net/publication/260186179_The_role_of_transnational_groups_of_reference_in_understanding_resources_necessary_for_childbearing-

Poles_living_in_Poland_and_the_UK McGhee, D., Heath, S., & Trevena, P. (2012). Dignity, happiness and being able to live a 'normal life' in the UK - an examination of post-accession Polish migrants' transnational

autobiographical fields. Social Identities, 18(6), 711-727. Milewski, N. (2007). First child of immigrant workers and their descendants in West Germany: Interrelation of events, disruption, or adaptation? Demographic Research, 17(29), 859-896.

Retrieved from http://www.demographic-research.org/Volumes/Vol17/29/ Moskal, M. (2011). Transnationalism and the role of family and children in intra-European labour migration. European Societies, 13(1), 29-50.

Moskal, M. (2013). Transnational social networks, human capital and economic resources of Polish immigrants in Scotland. In B. Glorius, I. Grabowska-Lusińska & A. Kuvik (Eds.), Mobility in transition. Migration patterns after EU enlargement (pp. 155-168). Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.

Okólski, M. (2004). Demografia. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar. Rosińska-Kordasiewicz, A. (2005). Praca pomocy domowej. Doświadczenie polskich migrantek w Neapolu. CMR Working Papers, 4(62). Retrieved from

http://www.migracje.uw.edu.pl/publ/588/ Ryan, L., & Sales, R. (2013). Family migration: the role of children and education in family decision-making strategies of Polish migrants in London. International Migration, 51(2), 90-103.

Sales, R., Ryan, L., Lopez Rodriguez, M., & D'Angelo, A. (2010). Polish pupils in London primary schools: opportunities and challenges. London: Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC), Middlesex University.

Trevena, P. (2013). Why do highly educated migrants go for low-skilled jobs? A case study of Polish graduates working in London. In B. Glorius, I. Grabowska-Lusińska & A. Kuvik (Eds.), Mobility in transition. Migration patterns after EU enlargement (pp. 169-190). Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.

White, A. (2010). Polish families and migration since EU accession. Bristol: Policy Press. White, A., & Ryan, L. (2008). Polish ‘temporary’ migration: the formation and significance of social networks. Europe-Asia Studies, 60(9), 1467-1502.

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