Privilege travels: migration and labour market outcomes of Southern Italian graduates

Abstract

This paper contributes to the literature on social stratification by analysing the role of internal migration as a possible channel for the intergenerational transmission of inequality. While internal migration is associated with social mobility, it can also be used as a strategy of status maintenance among graduates from privileged backgrounds. The aim of this paper is to scrutinize whether internal migration for study or work, and subsequent labour market outcomes, are associated with social origins. Using a rich administrative and survey data set on a cohort of Italian graduates, findings show a substantive effect of social origins on graduates’ migration for study but not on migration for work. Finally, the results also more tentatively indicate that migration for study is one relevant path connecting social origins and income, thus emphasizing how privilege is not bound to place, but travels.

Educational and labor migration in the new horizons of economic integration in the Eurasian Economic Union

“…In contrast to Al-Qadri et al (2022), Eschenbacher (2022), Fang and Huang (2022), Finch and Finch (2022), Galos (2022), Holliman et al (2022), andWesterveen et al (2022), it has been proved that the approach to state regulation of educational and labor migration in conditions of economic integration (as opposed to the approach in the individual economic growth of countries) should involve stimulating social mobility and creating social (educational and labor) elevators rather than retention of personnel. Artificial retention of human resources in the country leads to their degradation and unemployment, while the creation of a single education market and the labor market in the integration association of countries (as in the successful example of the EAEU) makes it possible to free the flow of human resources and most effectively manage them in full economic freedom in support of the implementation of social investment model of economic growth.…”

“…On the other hand, they seek to attract the best human resources from around the world, creating favorable employment opportunities (including international recognition of diplomas and support for the social adaptation of migrants) and life in the country (high quality of life) (Eschenbacher, 2022;Fang and Huang, 2022;Westerveen et al, 2022). Some countries, especially those that are "aging" and experiencing a demographic crisis (negative natural population growth), are interested in an influx of migrant personnel of any kind without strict educational requirements (Galos, 2022). For example, some remote areas of European countries have resettlement programs aimed at attracting young families.…”

Students’ university mobility patterns in Europe: an introduction

“…What is the influence of educational background and parental education level on student migration choices and performance? (Galos, 2022). Is there an association between family background and the propensity to study abroad for Italian Ph.D students?…”