Redai dili (Nov 2022)
The Impact of Jobs Outside One's Hometown and Left-Behind Family Members on the Return Intentions of Migrant Workers: A Multi-Dimensional Comparative Analysis
Abstract
In the process of leaving one's hometown for work, migrant workers face the problem of family separation, resulting in a large number of left-behind children, women, and elderly. The separation between the "jobs" and "family" of migrant workers makes them consider not only their "jobs" but also their "family" when making mobility choices. However, few existing studies have conducted in-depth multi-dimensional comparative analyses on return intentions from the perspectives of "jobs" and "family" at the same time. Drawing on data from the 2014 and 2016 "Migrants' Dynamic Monitoring Survey" and case interview data, using a mixed research method of quantitative and qualitative research, starting from Neoclassical Economics (NE) and the New Economics of Labor Migration (NELM), and based on multi-dimensional comparative analysis, this study discusses the impact of jobs outside one's hometown and left-behind family members on the return intentions of migrant workers. Results indicate that such jobs decrease migrants' intentions to return, while left-behind family members increase their return intentions. The former has a greater influence than the latter. The impact of left-behind family members on return intentions was weakened in the following order: left-behind children, left-behind spouses, and left-behind parents. From a generational perspective, the impact of jobs outside one's hometown on the new generation of migrant workers is greater than on the old generation, and the impact of left-behind children on the younger generation of migrant workers is greater than on the old generation, while the impact of left-behind spouses shows an opposite trend. From the perspective of social change, the impact of jobs outside one's hometown strengthen, and that of left-behind children increase. The opposite is true for left-behind spouses and left-behind parents. The results show that: (1) NE is more suitable than NELM for explaining the impact of jobs outside one's hometown on the return intentions of migrant workers in China; (2) NELM is more suitable than NE to explain the impact of left-behind family members on the return intentions of migrant workers in China; (3) When analyzing the influence mechanism of left-behind family members on the return intentions of migrant workers in China, we should not only focus on one dimension of economy but also explain the phenomenon from the perspective of family culture and family responsibility. This study contributes to the literature by expanding and supplementing the views of NE and NELM and developing and deepening the empirical study of migrant workers' return intentions through a multi-dimensional comparative analysis in combination with China's context. This study suggests that the relevant government departments should take measures to promote the realization of the dream of having both "jobs" and "family" at the same time for migrant workers as well as to promote their family construction.
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