Moving for a better life
This dissertation examines how the interplay between social change, family dynamics and life-course experiences shapes migration and its well-being outcomes. Adopting a multi-level, longitudinal framework and drawing on evidence from China, the UK and beyond, it presents four interconnected studies examining changing drivers of migration, continuity in mobility across the life course and the challenges faced by trailing family migrants.
The findings suggest that in China, city-level drivers of migration have increasingly shifted from predominantly job-related considerations towards amenity and quality-of-life considerations. At the individual level, the study using UK data reveals divergent migration trajectories from adolescence to young adulthood—ranging from leaving home to staying put—and identifies the social correlates.
Crucially, the study uncovers a "family-first paradox”: migration undertaken for collective welfare can precipitate “adaptation deficits” among trailing dependants. Notably, relocating older adults from rural areas of China to urban areas in pursuit of family solidarity was associated with a sustained decline in happiness. The study therefore argues for a shift in policy from individual-centred incentives towards a “whole-family” approach that supports long-term integration and well-being.