Shall I stay or shall I go? Assessing the influence of local conditions in Polish cities on transnational mobility strategies

Abstract :

The global network opened for Poland after the fall of the communist system but especially after it became a member state of the European Union (EU).

With accession to the EU came also the option of free movement and transnational mobility. This opportunity in turn created new possibilities for urban residents but the scholarly focus on macro-structural factors may overlook the impact of individual resources and local surroundings on exit strategies of well-educated Polish citizens.

Based on semi-structured interviews with MA students in three Polish cities, this study evaluates how satisfaction with urban living conditions, perceived benefits of EU membership and place attachment affect the propensity to move amongst the urban educated youth. The results confirm a complex interaction of sense of belonging and individual cost-benefit analyses when the sampled students evaluate options to leave or stay.