Return migration and life course: The example of returning graduates to Bulgaria

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The project examines migratory decisions of Bulgarian graduates who have earned a degree in Germany. In the course of complex economic, demographic and societal transformation processes in Bulgaria, former concepts of a normal biography have lost their value. In the context of the transition to a post-industrial and post-modern society, migration decisions are conceptualized as part of a strategy to avoid individual risks. Those migratory experiences that have been made in Germany can be understood as transnational social and cultural capital and can thus influence further migratory decisions, which are embedded in biographical passages. The aim of the project is to examine decisions whether to stay in Germany or to return to Bulgaria after having graduated from a German university. The theoretical frame aims to combine migration theory and theories of societal change, bridging the gap between conceptualizations of human mobility and societal development. The research design focuses on the implementation of biographical approaches, focusing on the life course of migrants in retrospect. By taking a transnational research perspective, the research design follows the hypothesis that life course decisions of migrants are embedded in a transnational social space, thus integrating a broader variety of options than for non-migrants. However, also migrants are faced with uncertainty concerning the outcomes of their decisions, which are even reinforced by the transformative context in Bulgaria and the results of societal change throughout Europe. The focus on return migration is less understood as a normative component, but points to the direction of observation in the course of research. As a result of the research a typology is developed, showing the variety of decision making strategies in the context of biographical stages, personality aspects, institutional regulations and further contextual factors. The research focuses on the individual perspective of migrants, thus enabling to develop a better understanding of decisions whether to stay, to return or to develop a transnational biography.