A Field Theoretical Model of the Polish Emigration to Other European Countries
A Field Theoretical Model of the Polish Emigration to Other European Countries

Summary/Abstract: This article presents a formalized field theory of international migration. Departing from the theories ofKurt Lewin, the author assumes that the valences of different migration targets create a field of attracting forces,which may trigger long-range “locomotions.” Moreover, the author hypothesizes that the selection among thedifferent migration targets also depends on the perceived opportunities: the higher the number of vacancies ata target and the stronger the reporting about these vacancies by earlier migrants, the stronger the field of perceivedopportunities. A mathematical model based on these theoretical assumptions is tested with data about migrationfrom Poland to other EU countries. The goodness of fit of the model is quite high and seems to corroborate its fieldtheoretical foundations. The model is further explored by simulating its behavior for different scenarios of valencesand perceived opportunities. The article finishes with a summary from the perspective of analytical sociology

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