BSPS Migration activity: the results! Gemma Catney and Ludi Simpson Cathie Marsh Centre for Census and Survey Research (CCSR) University of Manchester BSPS Annual Conference, Manchester, September 2008

Migration biographies “more searching explanations of population movement than could be obtained from aggregate data” (Rowland 2003: 390) –Understanding perceptions, processes of migration decision making, migration behaviour, as a complement to quantitative studies, or as analyses in their own right Existing sources for migration biographies: –UK Census-based Longitudinal Studies –British Household Panel Study (UK Household Longitudinal Study) –Birth Cohort Studies Ours is a retrospective, quantitative longitudinal data set

The value of biographical information for migration studies Ravenstein’s ‘laws’ were based on place of birth data from 1871 and 1881 British Censuses, and North American and European Censuses (JRSS 1885) His laws were a function of the data available. If other data had been to hand, would additional laws of migration have been suggested?

Potential additional laws of migration 1. People tend to be either movers or stayers all their lives 2.One child returns to its area of upbringing 3. Leaving home determines lives

How did we do? There were 159 delegates registered on Wednesday. Of this, the number of respondents was: 110 Meaning we have a response rate of: 69%

Some summary statistics SexMale: 45 Female: 61 Average age39 UK born UK childhood Foreign-born parentsNeither: 96 One: 9 Both: 3 (n=110)

Migration Average no. internal moves in childhood 0.51 Average no. international moves in childhood 0.25 Average no. internal moves in adulthood 2.34 Average no. international moves in adulthood 1.37 Average total number of moves 4.46 Of those who are UK- born, 28% moved abroad once or more in their adulthood Of those born outside the UK, 90% moved abroad once or more in their adulthood (n= 110)

Proposed law 1: People tend to be either movers or stayers all their lives Pearson correlation:

Proposed law 1: People tend to be either movers or stayers all their lives Pearson correlation:

Proposed law 2: One child returns to their area of upbringing Of those who had a UK childhood, only 5% made ‘local only’ moves, none of which were an only child (however, this excludes internal movers) No matching moves with parents’ birthplace(s)

Proposed law 2: One child returns to their area of upbringing

Proposed law 3: Leaving home determines lives Most ‘significant’ move –Most recent? –1 st in adulthood? –Furthest? –Abroad?

Proposed law 3: Leaving home determines lives % if those whose most ‘significant’ move was: Most recent 1 st in adulthood FurthestAbroad (n=110) (n=50)(n=57) Of those whose most significant move was abroad (that is, 29 respondents): Their total moves were 143, of which 100 (70%) were international

Conclusions Substant ive issues: –Law 1: People tend to be either movers or stayers all their lives –Law 2: One child returns to their area of upbringing –Law 3: Leaving home determines lives Looking forward to future national surveys: –UKHLS: migration histories a possibility

Acknowledgements BSPS participants Anne Shepherd and BSPS Council Susan Lomax POPLA research group members