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.