Determinants of migration in the province of Jaén, Andalusia

Abstract

Migratory movements have been a recurrent theme of study in the field of Population Geography. In Spain, attention has focused on emigration after the civil war; and on the more recent immigratory movement. The return movement has always been deemed less important, although it is very interesting due to the significance of the emigration to which it is associated. More often than not, macroeconomic models have been used to explain the migratory phenomenon from the theoretical viewpoint, while a quantitative approach has been taken from the methodological viewpoint. Both have "forgotten" about emigrants themselves, and the personal circumstances that prompt them to emigrate and return. Therefore approaches that combine macro- and micro-aspects are required. In this respect, the methodology proposed is to use qualitative techniques to ascertain the migrants' life path, such as in-depth interviews, used in this case to analyse the life path of the retired emigrants of the province of Jaén, focusing in particular on their reasons for emigrating and for returning or not returning.