Immigration, Entrepreneurial Activities and Social Change in Rural Contexts: A Theoretical Approach

Abstract

The theoretical analysis developed focuses on the most relevant conceptual and empirical research contributions on migratory flows that, associated with certain activities, projects and lifestyles, are attracted by the existing conditions in rural areas. This analysis is guided by four questions: (i) what are the images, possibilities and resources that give migratory attractiveness to rural territories? (ii) who are the migrants who move to the countryside and what are their reasons and motivations? (iii) what is the relationship between these migrations and innovation and entrepreneurship processes? (iv) to what extent and how do neo-rural flows provide gentrification processes? The review is supported by articles and books indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, being complemented with the analysis of non-indexed, but reliable works. As a result, it was found that entrepreneurial neo-ruralism is carried out by individuals who leave urban centers motivated by the search for new lifestyles and/or opportunities to develop certain economic activities. In this process they tend to foster innovation, local development processes and, often, the gentrification of rural contexts.