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I.ContemporaryAmericanSocietyandPolitics
gralpartofsuchenclaves…Teyalsolinkemployerstopotentialemployeesthrough
personalties”(Boyd1989,653).TishasalsobeenthecaseinthePolishenclavesfor
years.However,WhiteandRyan(2008)pointoutthatitiscompetitionratherthancol-
laborationthatcharacterizespost-communistPolishmigrantcommunities,especially
amongundocumentedworkers(1469).4Strengthenedbytheargumentaboutnegative
competitionintheenvironmentofPolishimmigrants,Putnam,sthesisthatsocialcapital
isdecliningintheAmericanworkplacesuggeststhatnetworksarenotfulfillingone
oftheirkeyfunctions.Idecidedtocheckifthismightbetruebyconductingasurvey
amongPoleswhohavelivedintheUSAforatleastveyears.
Researchresultsandinterpretation
TeaimoftheresearchwastondouthowconnectionsintheworkplacehelpPolish
immigrantsaccumulatesocialcapital,whatitsnatureis,whetheritcontributesto(is
thestartingpointof)long-lastingties,andwhat(ifany)theadvantagesarethatstem
fromtheseties.Inotherwords,theresearchaimedtondoutwhatthebenefitsarethat
theybringtothepeopleinvolvedintherelationship,andwhetherPolishimmigrants
bondorbridge,andwithwhom.
Tesamplewasselectedbymeansofsnowballsampling.
5
Tenmenandninewomen
participatedintheresearch;theywereallcontactedviae-mailandaskedtocomplete
aquestionnaire.Teiraverageagewas37andtheiraveragelengthofstayintheUSA
was13.6years.Asforeducationlevel,13peopleholdM.A.degreesand6completed
highschooleducation.
SocialcapitalofPolishimmigrants
Bywayofprovidingaproperbackground,itisrstusefultoexaminethesocialcapitalof
thePolishimmigrantsingeneral,itsorigin,qualityandthebenefitsitbrings.Ten,the
socialcapitalaccumulatedintheworkplacewillstandoutasasourceofspecificinfor-
mationaboutthenatureofthecontactsPolesmakeintheirAmericanworkplace.
Formationofnewsocialnetworkshappensonthreelevels:1)aprimarygrouplevel,
2)avoluntaryassociationandneighborhoodlevel,and3)aleveloutsidetheneigh-
4Recentresearchprovesthatthesituationischanging:Polishmigrantsoftodayrelymoreandmoreon
theInternet,recruitmentagenciesandpressadvertisementsforjobsabroadthanonfamilyandfriends
(WhiteandRyan2008).AgoodexamplemightbethethousandsofyoungPoleswhohavelefforthe
USAonJ-1visasorganizedbyWorkandTravelorWorkExperienceprograms.Migrationnetworksare
also,againstmigrants,expectations,anunsatisfactorytoolinsearchingforajobinGermanysincemany
ofeventhemostbasicjobsintheGermanmarketrequirecertificatesandqualifications,andimmigrants
ofendonothaveformaldegreesrecognizedbyGermanemployers(DreverandHofmeister2008).
5Teauthoriswellawareofthefactthatasnowballsampleappliedtothisresearchdoesnotgenerate
arepresentativesample.Alltherespondentswerethefamilyandcontactsoftheauthor,sworkmatesand
friendsmostlyacademics.