Zagraniczne migracje zarobkowe kobiet z Opolszczyzny. Na marginesie rozważań nad tożsamością
Foreign labour migrations of women from the region of Opole. In the context of reflection on identity

Summary/Abstract: Migrations of women lead to changes in identity, which is subject to constant construction and verification. This text shows the problem of foreign labour migration of women living in the region of Opole. The main idea of the paper is to show the changes that lead to the redefinition of the iden-tity of the migrants, and the transformations of their axiological systems as a consequence of their stay abroad. Each woman contributes to the culture of the foreign country by the fact of her being a foreigner. At the same time, through adaptation processes, each woman internalizes the values representative of the country to which she migrated. The analysis presented in the article draws upon the interviews held in 2007 and 2008 with the women who migrated from the region of Opole in search of labour. Also analysed are their diaries, which are a rich reservoir of their experiences, feelings and reflections. Finally, the analysis also relies on multidimensional quantitative research. The research reveals that some women, even though they stay in the foreign country for short, try their best to assimilate with the new social environment. They seem to ignore the cost of such an assimilation - that is the loss of what was important to them prior to migration, as regards patterns of their behaviour and traditions of their motherland. At the same time, finding an efficient mode of living among others enables building effective social relationships. Women are not always loyal to their husbands, and the reasons for their cheating on the spouses are various. Their stay abroad helps women feel more self-reliant, independent, self-confident and open to contacts with others.

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