Lifestyle migration _FIN_.pdf (128.06 kB)
Migration and the search for a better way of life: a critical exploration of lifestyle migration
journal contribution
posted on 2009-12-11, 15:50 authored by Michaela Benson, Karen OReillyKaren OReillyFor the past few years, the term ‘lifestyle migration’ has been used
to refer to an increasing number of people who take the decision to
migrate based on their belief that there is a more fulfilling way of life
available to them elsewhere. Lifestyle migration is thus a growing,
disparate phenomenon, with important but little understood
implications for both societies and individuals. This article outlines
and explores in detail a series of mobilities that share in common
relative affluence and this search for a better lifestyle. We attempt
to define the limits of the term lifestyle migration, the characteristics
of the lifestyle sought, and the place of this form of migration in the
contemporary world. In this manner, we map the various migrations
that can be considered under this broad rubric, recognising the
similarities and differences in their migration trajectories. Further to
this, drawing on the sociological literature on lifestyle, we provide
an initial theoretical conceptualisation of this phenomenon,
attempting to explain its recent escalation in various guises, and
investigating the historical, sociological, and individualised
conditions that inspire this migration. This article is thus the first
step in defining a broader programme for the study of lifestyle
migration. We contend that the study of this migration is especially
important in the current era given the impact such moves have on
places and people at both ends of the migratory chain.
History
School
- Social Sciences
Department
- Communication, Media, Social and Policy Studies
Citation
BENSON, M. and O'REILLY, K., 2009. Migration and the search for a better way of life: a critical exploration of lifestyle migration. Sociological Review, 57 (4), pp. 608-625.Publisher
Blackwell Publishing Inc. / © The Editorial Board of The Sociological Review & The authorsVersion
- AM (Accepted Manuscript)
Publication date
2009Notes
This article was accepted for publication in the journal, The Sociological Review and the definitive version is available at: http://www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=0038-0261ISSN
0038-0261Language
- en