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Difference between revisions of "Ściągnąć (Poland)"
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{{infobox | {{infobox | ||
| nameofpractice = Ściągnąć | | nameofpractice =Ściągnąć | ||
| flagemoji = 🇵🇱 | | flagemoji = 🇵🇱 | ||
| definition = Term denoting a migrant bringing over another person to join them in a foreign country | | definition =Term denoting a migrant bringing over another person to join them in a foreign country | ||
| location = Poland | | location =Poland | ||
| imagemap = Poland map.png | | imagemap =Poland map.png | ||
| categories = [[:Category: Poland|Poland]] – [[:Category: Europe| Europe]] – [[:Category: EU| EU]] – [[:Category: CEE| CEE]] – [[:Category: | | clusters = | ||
| authorofpiece = Anne White | | categories = | ||
| authorinstitution = School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London | [[:Category:Poland|Poland]] – [[:Category: Europe| Europe]] – [[:Category: EU| EU]] – [[:Category: CEE| CEE]] – [[:Category: Migration| Migration]] – [[:Category: Ethnicity| Ethnicity]] – [[:Category: Diaspora| Diaspora]] – [[:Category: Network| Network]] – [[:Category: Ties| Ties]] – [[:Category: Euphemism| Euphemism]] – [[:Category: Personal connections| Personal connections]] – [[:Category: Kinship| Kinship]] | ||
| | | authorofpiece =Anne White | ||
}} | | authorinstitution =School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London, UK | ||
'''By Anne White, School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London''' | | authorwebsite =[https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ssees/people/anne-white Profile page at UCL]}} | ||
[[Category: Poland]] | <big>'''By Anne White, School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London, UK'''</big> | ||
[[Category: Europe]] | [[Category:Poland]] | ||
[[Category: EU]] | [[Category: Europe]] | ||
[[Category: CEE]] | [[Category: EU]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category: CEE]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category: Migration]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category: Ethnicity]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category: Diaspora]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category: Network]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category: Ties]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category: Euphemism]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category: Personal connections]] | ||
[[Category: Entry]] | [[Category: Kinship]] | ||
[[Category: 2019 entry]] | [[Category:Entry]] | ||
[[Category: 2019 entry]] | |||
[[Category: SSEES]] | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
|- | |- | ||
|style="font-size:1.1em;"| ''Ściągnąć'' (imperfective form: ''ściągać'') means to ‘bring over’ (literally ‘pull down/off from’). The term is used when somebody brings over another person to join them in a foreign country, like pulling down an apple from a tree or pulling in a fish on a line. This is a colloquialism, not mentioned in the 200,000-word Oxford-PWN ''Polish-English Dictionary''. Informal migration networking in Poland is part of a wider culture of migration and has its own vocabulary. | |style="font-size:1.1em;"| ''Ściągnąć'' (imperfective form: ''ściągać'') means to ‘bring over’ (literally ‘pull down/off from’). The term is used when somebody brings over another person to join them in a foreign country, like pulling down an apple from a tree or pulling in a fish on a line. This is a colloquialism, not mentioned in the 200,000-word Oxford-PWN ''Polish-English Dictionary''. Informal migration networking in Poland is part of a wider culture of migration and has its own vocabulary. | ||
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The mechanisms of migrant networking have been more extensively studied in the countries of destination than in the countries of origin, where it is often assumed that would-be migrants initiate the use of informal networks as a resource. However, the ''ściągnąć'' concept suggests that migration might not occur without an invitation from an existing migrant. | The mechanisms of migrant networking have been more extensively studied in the countries of destination than in the countries of origin, where it is often assumed that would-be migrants initiate the use of informal networks as a resource. However, the ''ściągnąć'' concept suggests that migration might not occur without an invitation from an existing migrant. | ||
A massive number of people already have friends in the UK, and one person ''brings over'' the next (''jeden drugiego ściąga''). (Renata, Pabianice) | <blockquote>A massive number of people already have friends in the UK, and one person ''brings over'' the next (''jeden drugiego ściąga''). (Renata, Pabianice) | ||
The way it works, one person goes first, and then other people ''will bring each other over'' (''się ściągną'') too. So, they went to Manchester and later ''brought'' (''pociągnęli'') some other people from Sosnowiec. They ''brought'' them ''over'' to be with them (''ściągnęli do siebie''). (Jagoda, Sosnowiec) | The way it works, one person goes first, and then other people ''will bring each other over'' (''się ściągną'') too. So, they went to Manchester and later ''brought'' (''pociągnęli'') some other people from Sosnowiec. They ''brought'' them ''over'' to be with them (''ściągnęli do siebie''). (Jagoda, Sosnowiec) | ||
Usually one person ''collects'' (''zabiera'') someone else. Mostly a woman collects her best woman friend, or a man his male friend. That’s how the chain is formed as one person ''pulls in'' (''ściąga'') the next… Sometimes you say, ‘When you get there, look out for something for me.’ Then suddenly the link between us breaks, as if they didn’t want me to have a better life, just for them to have it better… I used to request sometimes, and it turned out to be a non-starter; they didn’t want to hear what I was saying, so I came to feel that it wasn’t worth asking, humiliating myself. (Celina, Grajewo) | Usually one person ''collects'' (''zabiera'') someone else. Mostly a woman collects her best woman friend, or a man his male friend. That’s how the chain is formed as one person ''pulls in'' (''ściąga'') the next… Sometimes you say, ‘When you get there, look out for something for me.’ Then suddenly the link between us breaks, as if they didn’t want me to have a better life, just for them to have it better… I used to request sometimes, and it turned out to be a non-starter; they didn’t want to hear what I was saying, so I came to feel that it wasn’t worth asking, humiliating myself. (Celina, Grajewo)</blockquote> | ||
''Ściągnąć'' is sometimes used side-by-side with ''kusić'', which means to tempt, and which allows the speaker to blame the original migrant for the migration act. In the next quotation, for example, the speaker excuses her husband for leaving their baby daughter to work abroad by blaming the brother-in-law who ‘pulled him away’. In the second quotation, low income is offered as an excuse for allowing oneself to be tempted: | ''Ściągnąć'' is sometimes used side-by-side with ''kusić'', which means to tempt, and which allows the speaker to blame the original migrant for the migration act. In the next quotation, for example, the speaker excuses her husband for leaving their baby daughter to work abroad by blaming the brother-in-law who ‘pulled him away’. In the second quotation, low income is offered as an excuse for allowing oneself to be tempted: | ||
The better earnings ''tempted us'' (''kusiły''). You know, to earn for the flat, and for a car, well, that was something ''you wanted'' (''chciało się''). Particularly since his brother was there already, so he ''brought him over'' (''ściągnął''). (Ewa, Grajewo) | <blockquote>The better earnings ''tempted us'' (''kusiły''). You know, to earn for the flat, and for a car, well, that was something ''you wanted'' (''chciało się''). Particularly since his brother was there already, so he ''brought him over'' (''ściągnął''). (Ewa, Grajewo)</blockquote> | ||
One person will ''bring over'' another (''jeden drugiego sciągnie''), they’ll ''pull them'' after themselves (''pociąga za sobą''). If someone gets an offer of work, they think it over, and off they go. Not many people refuse. Perhaps only graduates, people with very good jobs, such people won’t even be ''tempted'' (''nie kusi się''). But people like us will let themselves be ''tempted'' (''u nas jest takie środowisko że jednak się kuszą''). (Magda, Sanok) | |||
<blockquote>One person will ''bring over'' another (''jeden drugiego sciągnie''), they’ll ''pull them'' after themselves (''pociąga za sobą''). If someone gets an offer of work, they think it over, and off they go. Not many people refuse. Perhaps only graduates, people with very good jobs, such people won’t even be ''tempted'' (''nie kusi się''). But people like us will let themselves be ''tempted'' (''u nas jest takie środowisko że jednak się kuszą''). (Magda, Sanok)</blockquote> | |||
Many other interviewees portrayed invitations as opportunities not to be passed up: | Many other interviewees portrayed invitations as opportunities not to be passed up: | ||
His brothers simply ''brought him'' over (''go ściągnęli''). We hadn’t really thought about migrating. But it just happened that my brother-in-law phoned, and he said, ‘You know what, there’s a job you could do, come if you like.’ And my husband said ‘OK!’ and off he went. (Jolanta, Grudziądz) | <blockquote>His brothers simply ''brought him'' over (''go ściągnęli''). We hadn’t really thought about migrating. But it just happened that my brother-in-law phoned, and he said, ‘You know what, there’s a job you could do, come if you like.’ And my husband said ‘OK!’ and off he went. (Jolanta, Grudziądz)</blockquote> | ||
However, use of ''ściągnąć'' does not always mean that the initiative comes from the person abroad. For example, Bernadeta, originally from Elbląg, reported that ‘My brother did want to come [to the UK] recently, but we told him it’s too hard to get work, for us to ''bring him over'' (''żeby go ściągać'')’. Nonetheless, the fact that the process was reported as the migrant potentially pulling the non-migrant establishes a hierarchy, with the migrant in control. | However, use of ''ściągnąć'' does not always mean that the initiative comes from the person abroad. For example, Bernadeta, originally from Elbląg, reported that ‘My brother did want to come [to the UK] recently, but we told him it’s too hard to get work, for us to ''bring him over'' (''żeby go ściągać'')’. Nonetheless, the fact that the process was reported as the migrant potentially pulling the non-migrant establishes a hierarchy, with the migrant in control. | ||
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Eagerness to take advantage of invitations is linked to the belief, particularly held in some parts of Poland with a tradition of strong informal networks to the USA, that, ‘if you go abroad, you must go to someone you know (''do kogoś'')’ (Edyta, Grajewo). Conversely, you must never migrate ''w ciemno'', ‘into the dark’. It is preferable to wait for an invitation: | Eagerness to take advantage of invitations is linked to the belief, particularly held in some parts of Poland with a tradition of strong informal networks to the USA, that, ‘if you go abroad, you must go to someone you know (''do kogoś'')’ (Edyta, Grajewo). Conversely, you must never migrate ''w ciemno'', ‘into the dark’. It is preferable to wait for an invitation: | ||
There was always someone in the family…who could ''pull you out'' of Poland (''ściągnąć z tej Polski'')… It was my cousin who ''took me'' (''zabrał mnie'') to Sweden. You earn some money, come back to Poland and spend money on all sorts of things, including helping someone out, and you end up without a penny and there’s no work here, so you wait for a lucky chance to go abroad. That’s how it works… You don’t go into the unknown (''w ciemno się nie jeździ''). (Leszek, unemployed builder, Grajewo) | <blockquote>There was always someone in the family…who could ''pull you out'' of Poland (''ściągnąć z tej Polski'')… It was my cousin who ''took me'' (''zabrał mnie'') to Sweden. You earn some money, come back to Poland and spend money on all sorts of things, including helping someone out, and you end up without a penny and there’s no work here, so you wait for a lucky chance to go abroad. That’s how it works… You don’t go into the unknown (''w ciemno się nie jeździ''). (Leszek, unemployed builder, Grajewo)</blockquote> | ||
Some university graduates interviewed for later projects described themselves as migrating ''w ciemno'', but they had more cultural capital and less need to rely on social capital. For instance, Rafał from Lublin reported that ‘I went completely into the unknown’. However, he continued by reporting the standard behaviour, using standard vocabulary: ‘I ''brought over'' (''ściągnąłem'') all my friends… Since I was in England, I always helped someone get work. Well, I was on the spot, so it was easier to fix something up for a friend.’ | Some university graduates interviewed for later projects described themselves as migrating ''w ciemno'', but they had more cultural capital and less need to rely on social capital. For instance, Rafał from Lublin reported that ‘I went completely into the unknown’. However, he continued by reporting the standard behaviour, using standard vocabulary: ‘I ''brought over'' (''ściągnąłem'') all my friends… Since I was in England, I always helped someone get work. Well, I was on the spot, so it was easier to fix something up for a friend.’ | ||