This thesis addresses the relationship between systems of social meaning and
migration practices.
Systems of social meaning shape migration decisions as migration come to be
understood as a possible and sometimes even a necessary choice, for people
in particular roles in particular situations of life. In the thesis the study of
migration decisions is approached from the perspective of a community of
origin, showing how migration can be understood as part of the cultural
repertoires from which people devise their strategies, and how distinct
migration practices can exist side by side in a community. Analysing migration
decisions in light of systems of social meanings can also shed light on how
migration practises emerge and are reproduced.
The analysis draws on data from Western Ukraine, produced though four
rounds of fieldwork conducted between 2008 and 2011
