Network Embeddedness of Migrants: Exploring Variations across Three Neighbourhoods in Vienna

Abstract

In recent years, social network theory has become a well-established field in migration research (Scott and Carrington, 2011) and a substantial number of recent studies have focused on the functionality of social networks in migration flows or their role in the process of integration for migrants into the receiving society (Gurak and Caces, 1992; Haug, 2008; Poros, 2011). The concept of social networks is based on relationships between individuals and refers to an individual’s social contacts, made through various personal relationships, including kinship, friendship and community (Boyd, 1989). Social networks typically involve issues of trust and norms or acceptable forms of activity and behaviour for how that network is organised (see chapter by Molina et al. in this volume). Social networks have a social and productive value, even for highly skilled migrants (see Ryan and Mulholland in this volume) and particularly for female migrants (Ryan and Mulholland, 2014b). Interest in social networks is further fuelled by the fact that migrants with larger networks have been shown to have greater socio-economic success, better access to economic resources and increased ability to deal with everyday tasks. Their life outcomes in general seem to be positively shaped by access to social networks (Hagan, 1998; Eisner et al., 2014). Access to social networks and how their characteristics vary between the majority population and migrants might therefore be an important factor in ethnic inequalities.