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
