Stayers or leavers? Spatial (im)mobility patterns of young university graduates living in rural areas in Poland

This article aims to explore the (im)mobility patterns of 92 young university graduates living in 10 selected rural municipalities in Poland interviewed within a qualitative study. This is achieved by dividing them into stayers, returnees and newcomers, and looking at their motivations to live in the countryside, plans about their future places of residence as well as their integration into rural communities where they live by analysing their local socializing practices and community engagement. The results show that in each group, those who plan to stay put outnumber the potential leavers-that is, those who would prefer to live elsewhere. The main motivations to stay include a community and family attachment, as well as an aversion to the city or a lack of interest in an urban lifestyle. Having children, property and a social life in the village also contribute to staying. The findings indicate, however, that a university education may affect the interviewees' integration into the community in terms of weakening their relationships with peers without a university degree and shaping their aspirations and preferences, which do not always match those dominating a rural community.