Migrants as Agents of Change

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xv

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2. Introduction: Social Remittances and “Hand-Made” Change by Migrants

   • Izabela Grabowska, Michał P. Garapich, Ewa Jaźwińska, Agnieszka Radziwinowiczówna

   Pages 1-10

3. Process of Transfer of Social Remittances in the European Union

   • Izabela Grabowska, Michał P. Garapich, Ewa Jaźwińska, Agnieszka Radziwinowiczówna

   Pages 11-34

4. Transnational Multisited Qualitative Longitudinal Research in Investigating Social Remittances and Change

   • Izabela Grabowska, Michał P. Garapich, Ewa Jaźwińska, Agnieszka Radziwinowiczówna

   Pages 35-51

5. Researched Communities in Poland and in the UK: Transnational Spaces of Diffusion and Social Remittances

   • Izabela Grabowska, Michał P. Garapich, Ewa Jaźwińska, Agnieszka Radziwinowiczówna

   Pages 53-110

6. Observing, Acquiring, Resisting: Migrants’ Agency in the Web of Social Remittances

   • Izabela Grabowska, Michał P. Garapich, Ewa Jaźwińska, Agnieszka Radziwinowiczówna

   Pages 111-136

7. Collective Outcomes of Social Remittances: Reactions of Local Communities (Acceptance and Resistance)

   • Izabela Grabowska, Michał P. Garapich, Ewa Jaźwińska, Agnieszka Radziwinowiczówna

   Pages 137-167

8. Migrants as Agents of Micro Social Changes

   • Izabela Grabowska, Michał P. Garapich, Ewa Jaźwińska, Agnieszka Radziwinowiczówna

   Pages 169-214

9. Conclusions

   • Izabela Grabowska, Michał P. Garapich, Ewa Jaźwińska, Agnieszka Radziwinowiczówna

   Pages 215-223

10. Back Matter

    Pages 225-251

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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.

• Multisited qualitative longitudinal research
• Transnational
• Poland
• United Kingdom
• Communities
• Acceptance
• Resistance
• european union politics

“Migrants As Agents of Change makes a significant contribution to the existing theoretical, methodological and empirical literature on social remittances. … this is a very imaginative and scholarly book, which makes a substantial theoretical and empirical contribution to existing migration scholarship, and deserves to be widely read.” (Anne White, Central and Eastern European Migration Review, Vol. 5 (2), 2016)

“A topical book on the “soft modernisation” of a post-communist society through migratory social remittances. The authors observe very carefully what people bring back beyond money to their sending local communities, and how these novelties are adopted, disseminated or resisted. It is  an invaluable contribution to all theorists and practitioners of social change. Thanks to its transnational and longitudinal approach it is one of the most valuable qualitative in-depth study on migrants and their local communities I have recently read.” (Marek Okólski, University of Warsaw and SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Poland)

“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 makes a ground-breaking contribution to the literature on socialremittances and migrant agency.” (Anne White, University College London, UK)

“Using rich multi-sited ethnography, this book offers fascinating insights into the opportunities, resistances and processes of social remittances.” (Louise Ryan, Middlesex University, UK)

• University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Poland

  Izabela Grabowska

• Social Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom

  Michał P. Garapich

• Centre of Migration Research, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland

  Ewa Jaźwińska, Agnieszka Radziwinowiczówna

Izabela Grabowska is Professor at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Poland, and International Research Coordinator at the Centre of Migration Research, University of Warsaw, Poland. 


Michal P. Garapich is Senior lecturer at University of Roehampton, UK.


Ewa Jazwinska is Methodological Coordinator at the Centre of Migration Research, University of Warsaw, Poland.


Agnieszka Radziwinowicz is a PhD Candidate at the Institute of Sociology and the Centre of Migration Research, University of Warsaw, Poland.

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