Title
Lifestyle Migration and New Mobilities in Galician Rural Areas
Migración por estilos de vida y nuevas movilidades en el medio rural gallego
Migracións por Estilos de Vida e Novas Mobilidades no Rural Galego
Abstract
The main objective of this master thesisis to study lifestyle migration from the Global North to shrinking areas in Europ e , analyzing the process es of settlement, integration and revitalization. Many rural areas throughout Europe have been affected by depopulation, while their counterparts, the urban areas are overpopulated. This imbalance is caused by migration. The study focuses on rural Galicia, which has faced depopulation for decades, more than many other rural areas.
The study tries to answer the following research questions: who are the migrants that are willing to move to shrinking areas of Galicia and how do they expect to contribute to the revitalization of these areas? How do locals of shrinking areas feel about m igrants from the Global North settling there and what expectations do they have?
The research is following a qualitative approach that involves semi structured interviews, the usage of photovoice, walking interviews, participatory observations, and mappin g. Some previous research within or related to this topic focuses on the contribution of international migrants in rural areas. Nevertheless, either they are lacking the rural connection tied to Galicia or they are focusing on economic migrants from non OE CD countries, but not from developed western countries. This project is exploratory in the way that it seeks to gain new and additional information about the role of ‘lifestyle migrants’ form the Global North in rural Galicia that has been understudied in this specific dual context (lifestyle in rural
Galicia).
Keywords
Lifestyle migration, rural redevelopment, Global North to Global South migration, Geoarbitrage, mobilities, rural revitalization, superdiversity, rural melting pot.
Author
Nicole Lehrfeld
Universities
Linköpings Universitet and Universidade da Coruña