PPP: Europeanisation of Living Conditions

Throughout Europe, people's own migration history determines their socio-economic positioning. The positioning, but also the chances of advancement of migrants in Germany are worse than those of Germans without a migration background. Scholars see self-employment as an opportunity for the social mobility of migrants. However, whether starting a business actually leads to sustainable socio-economic advancement, and if so, under what conditions, is highly controversial. There is a lack of studies that systematically examine how migration background, self-employment and social inequalities relate to each other. This project aims to close that gap. Considering the high number of people of Polish origin setting up businesses in Germany, the project will examine which opportunities and barriers to social mobility open up for migrants of Polish origin through "self-employment across borders".