Between needs, goods and services: Ukrainian immigrants on the Polish religious market. (March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Trzeszczyńska, Patrycja; Pędziwiatr, Konrad; Wiktor-Mach, Dobrosława
• Is Part Of: Social compass. Volume 70:Number 1(2023)
• Page Start: 149
• Page End: 165
• Publication Date: 2023-03
• Subjects: migration -- non-religious incentive for participation/church affiliation -- Poland -- religion -- religious market -- Ukrainians; incitant non religieux à la participation/affiliation à une église -- marché religieux -- migration -- Pologne -- religion -- Ukrainiens; Religion and sociology -- Periodicals; 306.605
• DOI: 10.1177/00377686231158556
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0037-7686

Abstract

This article seeks to address the intersection of migration and religion/religious affiliation of migrants in Central Europe. Increase in immigration from Ukraine to Poland observed since around 2015 has been challenging and remodeling religious relations in the relatively homogeneous country. Drawing on the qualitative research conducted in 2020 in Krakow, one of the key Polish destinations for the migrants, this article explores the strategies and choices of immigrants in relation to the religious market, and consequences of their decisions. Our research, embedded in the theoretical perspective of the economics of religion, shows the fluidity of religiosity in migration processes as well as inconsistencies in religious affiliations in the context of migration. We propose a concept of non-religious incentive for participation/church affiliation and argue that identified inconsistencies stem largely from the non-religious motivations related to the attractiveness of the goods and services offered by some religious communities.