Social Positioning and Pathways of Social Mobility of Intermarried Ukrainian Migrants in Poland

Abstract

The article draws on the narratives of 40 migrants from Ukraine intermarried with Polish citizens, shedding light on their subjective dimensions of mobility and social positioning. The research captures the diversity of migration trajectories and socio-demographics and explores how individuals construct their own definitions of success and failure that guide their actions. It also investigates their perceptions of stratification systems in Ukraine and Poland, offering insights into the structural conditions shaping intermarried migrants’ social positioning and opportunities for advancement. The analysis indicates three non-linear pathways of social mobility through entrepreneurship, utilisation of cultural capital and legalisation of stay, challenging the assumptions on straightforward vertical mobility of intermarried migrants.