Networks among Bretons? The evidence for Paris, 1875–1925

Abstract

This article questions the notion that migrant networks provided an incentive to travel by furnishing both contacts upon arrival and continued assistance for those who remained. It focuses on newcomers to Paris from Brittany from 1875 to 1925. Sources include (a) memoirs and interview data from large-scale studies, (b) information on marriage patterns in the XIVe arrondissement and the industrial suburb of Saint-Denis, and (c) information on the witnesses to these marriages. Although each source reveals a different configuration of contacts, together they suggest the importance of ongoing family ties and significant contacts formed from ‘weak ties’ after arrival.