Processes of international student migration in the UK : Greek and Chinese students in Sheffield.

This thesis is concerned with student migration to the UK. The research objectives of this study are to investigate the personal, familial and social processes pertaining to international student migration and to contribute to the theorization of migration. To further its research objectives the study adopts a grounded theory approach which allows students to voice the concerns, motives and influences pertaining to their migration actions and intentions. The method of the inquiry is qualitative and is based on individual, in-depth, interviews with Greek and Chinese students at the University of Sheffield. In order to interpret and analyse its findings, this research employs the work of Pierre Bourdieu and the Life-course approach on migration. Further, these two distinct bodies of work are combined into a theoretical framework able to further social scientific understanding of migration decision-making. This study brings forward the concept of an intended migration trajectory as a theoretical tool with the potential to enhance our understanding of the migration process. Student migration is found to be a response to the individual and familial needs and ambitions generated by the context in which agents move. Individual actions and intentions are part of an effort to further needs and ambitions in multiple spheres of activity in the best possible way. Migration is best described as a process in the sense that migration partly alters the context facing individuals and families and so contributes to a partial change in agents' needs, ambitions and, ultimately, migration intentions. Overall, this study accomplishes its objectives to investigate Greek and Chinese student migration to the UK and to further social scientists' theoretical understanding of 21st century migration flows.