The complex processes of post-HE migration and the 'parental safety net'

Sage, Joanna, Evandrou, Maria and Falkingham, Jane (2012) The complex processes of post-HE migration and the 'parental safety net'. Young Adults’ Housing and Independent Living: New Insights, London, United Kingdom. 23 Nov 2013.

Abstract

Generally speaking, it has been assumed that the pathway from home to university and onwards to the labour market will ultimately result in improved opportunities and social betterment. Studies of graduate migration have therefore tended to focus on the flows of graduate migrants from peripheral university towns in the UK to London and the SE, and how this uneven redistribution of skilled workers impacts on local economies, rather than on the wellbeing of the migrant and their families. Drawing upon a survey capturing the migration histories of a cohort of students who left the University of Southampton between 2001-2007, this presentation reveals that the migration pathways of graduates are often complex and precarious across the five year period after leaving university. During this prolonged period of instability the parental home (and parental support more generally) provides a crucial safety net for graduates, which begs questions about the impacts of post-HE transitions to financial and residential independence on the resources of mid-life families. These findings are discussed within the context of an ageing society where midlife parents are often ‘sandwiched’ between caring for their ageing parents and supporting their adult children.

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Contributors

Author: Maria Evandrou

Author: Jane Falkingham

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