Home? Home! Home... Motivations and Strategies of Internal Return Migrants in China

This dissertation examines the motivations and work strategies of return migrants in Qianshan County, China, in the context of rural development and socio-economic transformation. While much research has focused on rural-urban migration, less attention has been paid to what motivates out-migrants to return to their home regions and how return migrants use their skills and experience to shape the local economy. This study thus offers a comprehensive understanding of return migration dynamics in China by highlighting the interplay between economic, familial, social, and psychological factors. It proposes a ‘shuttling theory’ to explain the cyclical and circular nature of return migration. At the individual and family level, this involves navigating between urban and rural spaces while balancing work and family roles. At the regional level, it is suggested that businesses of return migrants create dynamic linkages between urban industrial centres and rural areas, thus fostering new economic networks that connect peripheral regions to core market areas. This shuttling process between and across different spatial scales has the capacity to transform both family arrangements and regional economic relationships. The research indicates the growing significance of ‘soft values’, such as family cohesion and well-being, in shaping migration decisions in China, while also noting a shift toward personal fulfilment and entrepreneurship, especially among women. Return migrants, driven by diverse motivations, use their experiences to reshape local economies and contribute to rural revitalisation, demonstrating a dynamic blend of agency and structural constraints.