Analysis Of Return Decision Process Of Shanghai New Overseas Migrant Families And Its Influencing Mechanism

In today’s increasingly globally connected world,transnational migration and mobility of population has become a common phenomenon,and its form is gradually changing to increasingly family-based migration.This study adopts a mixed research approach to explore the return migration decision process of new overseas migrant families and its influencing mechanism,taking Shanghai as an example.Based on the data from the 2021 Shanghai Expatriate Survey,we examine the factors influencing the return status of new overseas migrant families in Shanghai.(1)In terms of identity,the wife’s status has a significant positive effect on the return behavior of internationally migrating families.(2)In terms of age,men who migrated during their midlife between 40 and 59 years of age were most inclined to return.(3)Neither the educational level nor the occupational status of the spouses had a significant effect on household return migration.(4)Matching couples’ education level,at 0.1 significance level,couples matched with the same education level are more likely to return than other couples.(5)In terms of reasons for migration,there is a significant positive effect of family reasons on the return of both couples,such as family members moving with them,joining friends and relatives,marriage and marriage,etc.(6)Families with children significantly weaken the return of the whole family regardless of the age of the children.Among them,children aged 16 and above have the most significant weakening effect on family return.(7)The number of dependents in the country has a significant positive effect on family return.The higher the number of dependents in the country,the more households tend to return.Overall,the return of internationally migrating families is still dominated by females and family reasons are the main reason for their return.In the qualitative in-depth interviews,six interviewees were selected for life history analysis based on the life course theory framework.(1)All six interviewees are relatively high-capital,high-skilled Shanghai new immigrant families after the reform and opening of Chinese society,reflecting the different characteristics of the current group of new overseas immigrants from the previous ones.(2)Under the influence of other life events(e.g.,employment),the return intentions of Shanghai new overseas immigrant families are always fluid and uncertain,but the migration decisions of both spouses,as "interconnected beings," are always consistent.(3)The current state of family migration is mainly determined by "timing",i.e.,the development of individual life course and family life cycle both influence the decision of family migration in the present moment.For new immigrant families abroad,their willingness to move is not a simple dichotomy of "whether to return",but a long-term consideration of "when to return".