Strength of social ties: How non-monetary bonds affect east germans’ decision to stay after german reunification

Abstract

Love of family and loyalty to country are warm-blooded motivations that can impact the human migration decision. Our social ties and allegiances reflect where we choose to live, work, pay taxes, and contribute to community. The migration literature typically examines why people move from one place to another; in contrast, we look at why people choose to stay. Using behaviours that reflect time use as proxies for the strength of social ties, we investigate the East-to-West Germany migration decision immediately after the fall of the Berlin Wall. We find that social ties do matter. More frequent involvement in family activities, social gatherings, entertainment, or sports activities is associated with East Germans not staying in the East. On the other hand, those with greater church involvement, those who engage in more cultural activities and have higher levels of education, and those with larger family commitments are more likely to stay in East Germany.