In a new research paper, the authors document that migration can affect the values and norms of those left behind at home. This is shown for two post-socialist countries (Bulgaria & Romania):
Left Behind but Doing Good? Civic Engagement in Two Post-Socialist Countries
by Milena Nikolova (IZA and Brookings Institution); Monica Roman (Bucharest University of Economic Studies and IZA); and Klaus F. Zimmermann (Harvard University, UNU-MERIT and Bonn University). The paper has been accepted for publication in the
Journal of Comparative Economics
The abstract is below. The online version of the Journal can be accessed here. A pre-publication version can be found here. See also a recent Gallup Blog. And a related Linkedin blog.
Abstract
The fall of socialism in Central and Eastern Europe restored ordinary citizens’ rights and freedoms and ended their political and social isolation. While the freedom of movement was quickly embraced, civil society revival lagged due to the eroded civic norms, declining social capital, and worsening economic conditions. This paper examines the link between the out-migration of relatives and friends and the pro-social behavior of the left behinds in two post-socialist countries—Bulgaria and Romania—the EU’s poorest, and among the least happy and most corrupt member states. It shows that having close contacts abroad is consistently positively associated with civic engagement and that the cultural transmission of norms from abroad could be driving the results. Specifically, the strength of the civic engagement culture of the family or friend’s destination matters for the pro-social behavior of respondents in the home countries. The results imply that the emigration of family and friends may have positive but previously undocumented consequences for the individuals and communities left behind in Bulgaria and Romania. Given civil society’s role for development in post-socialist Europe and the socio-economic and institutional challenges that Bulgaria and Romania face compared with the rest of the EU, understanding the channels fostering civil society and well-being are important for national and EU policymakers.
