Italian PhD students at the borders: the relationship between family background and international mobility

Abstract

Previous literature has suggested that PhD students’ mobility has become a fundamental step during doctoral studies, both for training purposes and for creating transnational research networks. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in migration of highly educated and highly skilled Italians. Most studies concentrate on employment-related characteristics of researchers’ and scientists’ mobility, largely neglecting other topics, such as family background characteristics of those who decide to study and go abroad. Using the Istat Survey on occupational conditions of PhD holders conducted in 2014 and 2018 in Italy, along with modelling using multinomial logistic regression analyses, we aim to investigate the relationship between family background characteristics and mobility during PhD studies according to different types of international stay. Our results show that both parental education and mother’s economic activity are related to the propensity for studying abroad among PhD candidates, whereas father’s social class seems to have a lower impact on this decision. The gap in doctoral mobility among PhD students with respect to socio-economic status seems also to vary according to the different types of stay abroad. Overall, our findings intend to shed light on potential disparities related to studying abroad among PhD students and their links to family background, which may have future repercussions on students’ occupational prospects.

Examining change in migration strategies over the life course of international PhD students

“…Student mobility represents one type of a new form of migration derived from time-space flexibility, globalisation processes and personal self-realisation. International mobility of PhD students is viewed as a fundamental step during doctoral studies, both for its impact on the quality of the doctoral project and for the creation of transnational research networks as a long-term investment in an academic career (Musselin, 2004;Kim, 2009Kim, , 2017Tocchioni and Petrucci, 2020) as academic mobility is equated with notions of excellence or quality (Ackers, 2008). Obviously, due to its intensity and, indeed, the economic importance of where these students or highly educated individuals will finally settle and contribute to the economy, it is important to the migration-development nexus (for example, Docquier and Rapoport, 2012).…”

The Influence of Parents’ Social Origin on Occupational Achievements of University Graduates: An Analysis of Education–Job Match

“…Previous analyses have identified a clear association between families whose parents have higher levels of education and graduates with these educational achievements. When considering these indirect mechanisms, the influence of other factors, such as social and family contacts and access to labor market information, are critical (Amani & Mkumbo, 2018; Assaad et al, 2018; Hur et al, 2019; Tocchioni & Petrucci, 2020; Vacchiano et al, 2018). Families with higher socio-educational status possess better labor market information and can help their sons and daughters to make career decisions more effectively (Campbell et al, 2019).…”

“…Among these, the influence of social contacts and access to information are particularly significant (Triventi, 2013). More advantaged social classes possess better labor market information (Amani & Mkumbo, 2018; Tocchioni & Petrucci, 2020) and links to more influential people (Assaad et al, 2018). Vacchiano et al (2018) has noted that 60% of young people find jobs thanks to personal contacts, reinforcing this association between social capital and access to the best career options.…”

African experiences of doing PhDs abroad: negotiating careers within broader life considerations

“…We found only one mention in the educational and mobility literature, specifically, moving abroad to co-locate with a partner studying abroad (Friedenberg and Malamud, 2012). This may be due to the start of the PhD often being a time with fewer adult family influences, though (presumably birth) families contribute to an individual considering international educational mobility (Carlson, 2013;Ticchioni and Petrucci, 2021).…”