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Social embeddedness in a harmonized Europe: the social networks of European migrants with a native partner in Belgium and the Netherlands
Author(s) -
KOELET SUZANA,
VAN MOL CHRISTOF,
DE VALK HELGA A. G.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
global networks
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.685
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1471-0374
pISSN - 1470-2266
DOI - 10.1111/glob.12123
Subject(s) - embeddedness , friendship , economic geography , social network (sociolinguistics) , political science , settlement (finance) , bridge (graph theory) , european union , social network analysis , demographic economics , sociology , political economy , geography , business , international trade , economics , social capital , social science , law , medicine , finance , payment , social media
Although intra‐European migration is often considered relatively easy to realize given European citizens' right to freedom of movement, settlement in another European country can still be experienced as socially disruptive. Insights in the insertion processes of European migrants, nevertheless, remain rather scarce. In this study, we analyse the social networks of European nationals with a native partner in Belgium and the Netherlands. The analysis is based on survey data from the EUMARR project (n = 576). First, we study the size and composition of European migrants' local family and friendship networks, and the frequency of contact with these networks. Second, we connect intra‐EU movers' insertion routes to investments in transnational networks in their home country. The results reveal how size, composition and contact with the local and transnational network change over time. Children help to maintain contact with both the local and transnational family network and form a bridge for parents to meet own friends in the host country. Moreover, having own friends and own family around matters for contact frequency with the local networks.