The uneven geographies of family migration and family structures in Great Britain

Abstract

This thesis performs a review of both geographical and social literature to examine the uneven geographies of family migration in Great Britain (GB). Using 2001 GB Census data, the thesis explores the inter-connections between diverse patterns of migration, family structures, and other demographic characteristics via the construction of a Migrant family Index (MFI). Four types of ‘migrant-family locations’ are identified at the Local Authority District (LAD) level; ‘conventional’, ‘increasing onventionality’, ‘increasing non-conventionality’, and ‘non-conventional’. These ‘migrant-family locations’ are underpinned by specific processes of family migration, and the reproduction and/or transformation of dominant place-specific conventional and non-conventional family structures. This distinction is consolidated by empirical findings from a large-scale survey of 400 recent migrant households in four case study locations in South-east England; Wealden, Crawley, Lewes, and Brighton. Recent migrants were identified in a novel way using a web-based register of recent residential property transactions.

Date of Award	Jan 2009
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Brighton