Analysis of the Influence of Social Relations on Migration Intention: Focusing on Local Social Capital and Subjective Socioeconomic Status

Abstract

Migration intention of residents has become an important issue for the local governments as they have been experiencing an exodus of the residents to other regions topped with the country’s low birthrate that naturally results in the population decrease. Hence, this study explores the determinants of migration intention of residents in South Korea (hereafter Korea), with special focus on the social relationship within the community. In detail, this study attempts to prove if the two aspects of the social relations within the community - local social capital and individual subjective socioeconomic status - have an effect on the migration intention. Furthermore, the study has been conducted by separating urban and rural areas. The results of the analysis reveal that individual subjective SES had a greater influence in rural areas, whereas, it was the local social capital in urban areas. This result can be explained by the difference of the ‘individual anonymity’ between urban and rural areas. In rural areas, where the anonymity of individuals is relatively low due to the active interactions between neighbors, the influence of individual subjective socioeconomic status can have a great effect. On the other hand, in urban areas, where the anonymity of individual is relatively high, the influence of local social capital may have a greater effect on migration intention.