Emigration as a strategy of everyday politics: the case of Latvian labour emigrants in Ireland
In: (Post)transformational migration: inequalities, welfare state, and horizontal mobility, p. 121-149
"This article, based on interviews with Latvian labour emigrants who left Latvia at the time of the transition from socialism to a free market economy, will explore the intricate reasoning behind the emigrants' decisions of whether or not to remain in Latvia, and how this decision indicates a means of resistance to some forms of governance. It also explores how emigration became a strategy for improving one's quality of life and transforming one's subjectivity. Furthermore, this article explores the political dimension of emigration, arguing that particular environments can entail certain modes of governance, and reveals the character of power relations between an individual and the state. From the perspective of emigration discourse, the author draws the conclusion that the question of governance becomes a question of self-governance." (author's abstract)