Rural-urban migration decision making processes: a whole and personal support network analysis

Abstract

Social network analysis is one of the most important instruments to study collective decision making by assessing personal support networks in whole communities. Although cost-benefit analysis is a fundamental method for analysing decision making in human migration, the decisions made by villagers about rural-urban migration are also directly or indirectly affected by the ties of an ego (villager) connected to an alter (other villager), the whole network structure and the attribute characteristic of both ego and alter. The aim of this research, based on a case study, is to draw attention to these support network processes. An empirical study considering rural-urban migration in China has been undertaken to discuss and explore the relevance of social network analysis associated for migration decision making under the government’s favourable migration policy, where cost-benefit considerations have a non-significant effect on villagers’ decision process.