ABSTRACT
Social networks play a critical part in migration. The role played by social networks in shaping migration decisions and influencing where migrants go to was already evident in earlier studies of migration. Most of the research on social networks builds on Coleman’s definition of social capital, in which he differentiated between bonding, bridging, and linking social capital. Women’s and men’s differential incorporation into social networks has long-term implications for their potential for integration into the destination society as well as for the benefits they can draw from migration. Participant observation and survey data indicate that men have much better access to friendship-based social networks than women do. Social networks lower the costs of the migration journey, finding the initial accommodation and first job. Migrants generally make use of social capital for advancing their social mobility projects. Gender relations influence social mobility. Women, having access to fewer occupations, also have fewer opportunities for advancing up the occupational ladder.
