Migrating alone: tackling social capital? Women from Eastern Europe in Portugal

This article explores the applicability of the concept of social capital in research dealing with individual, non-collective experiences. Empirically it is based on research into women migrating alone to Portugal from Central and Eastern Europe. The analysis of the material shows that social networks are of major ambiguity for these women as they offer not only support and access to the receiving society but also exercise control over the women's behaviour and possibilities of agency. Consequently, many women migrating alone distance themselves from existing networks, finding themselves lacking support and facing loneliness. The article shows that the women have only a limited ability to utilize their social capital, exposing the negative side of social capital and the commodification of social relations. The article concludes that the concept of social capital emphasizes too strongly the structural position and its constraints for the women, without being able to show their agency.