The culture of migration of rural Romanian youth

Within the context of a changing economic environment since 1990, the westward migration of Romanian citizens continues. As various recent surveys reveal, the potential for migration, especially among the young, is still high. This study analyses the economic and cultural sources of this enduring process. The focus is the rural young: on the ways in which they represent migration and see themselves as would-be migrants. It argues that the migration of young people is typically connected with the problematic transition to adulthood, in situations where jobs are insecure and difficult to obtain in the primary segment of the labour market. Migration turns out to be an indeterminate context linked to the uncertain socio-economic status of a prolonged transition to adulthood.