How does outmigration behaviour cascade within the community of origin? A socio‐historical approach to migrant network analysis using the Philippines case
| Published date | 01 April 2022 |
| Author | Aubrey Duldulao Tabuga |
| Date | 01 April 2022 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12855 |
International Migration. 2022;60:3–28.
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wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/imig
INTRODUCTION
The cumulative c ausation theory of migrat ion states that a person's act of m igration creates a feedback me cha-
nism that enhance s the likelihood of others to follow. One of t hese mechanisms is the network among current ,
former and pros pective migrants an d even non- migrants. So cial networks are valu able because of the embe dded
Received: 10 Septe mber 2019
|
Revised: 31 Decemb er 2020
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Accepted: 15 March 2 021
DOI: 10.1111/imig.12855
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
How does outmigration behaviour cascade within
the community of origin? A socio- historical
approach to migrant network analysis using the
Philippines case
Aubrey Duldulao Tabuga
© 2021 The Author s. Internationa l Migration © 2021 IOM
Philippine In stitute for Develo pment
Studies, Quezon City, Philippines
Correspondence
Aubrey D. Tabuga, Phi lippine Institu te for
Developmen t Studies, 18th Floor, North
Tower, Eton Centris Cyberp od Three, EDSA
Corner Quezon Aven ue, Quezon City,
Philippines.
Email: atabuga@mail.pids.gov.ph
Abstract
This paper examines network structure and composition
in international migration diffusion. Using original data
from a rural village in the Philippines, it combines social
network analysis and descriptive approach to arrive at a
set of propositions about why some initial migration lead
to expansion while others do not. It argue s that migration
diffusion is attributed, in part, to the dispersed distribu-
tion and strategic position of pioneers in the network at
the beginning, which allowed a seemingly even migration
expansion as pioneers facilitated subsequent migration ac-
tivities. Had the initial context fostered pioneer migration
to transpire only among few families, and if pioneers were
positioned less centrally, the outcome might have been a
less extensive diffusion. Furthermore, the analysis shows
that migration is more likely to diffuse among members of
a family cluster and m ight cease to diffuse at the border of
their inner social circles.
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Tabuga
social capital in them that can be translated to other forms of capital (Bourdieu, 1986). In migration, these forms
of capital are inf ormation about jobs an d financial resource s that reduce costs an d risks associated with m igration,
thereby resulting to more migrati on (Massey, 1990). “Because networks pe rsist and grow irrespec tive of so cial
and economic trends , international migration acquire s a strong endogenous momentum” (Massey & Espana , 1987:
737). De Haas (2010) provided a critique of this perpetuat ion hypothesis. He noted that it leads one to expect that
“a whole com munity should end up at the destination” (2010: 1599). He argued that “communities and s ocieties
are often so cially stratified , and group bounda ries can impede the diffusion of th e migration experi ence. Instead
of spread ing to all segments of society, migr ation then b ecomes a s ocially strati fied process… (2010: 1601).” In
migration, MacDonald and MacDon ald (1964:90– 91) tou ched upon the idea of when we can not expect “chain
migration” to ope rate and that is in instances wh ere social organization is e xtremely atomistic. T his warrants the
need to incorpo rate structure in the e mpirical analysis of migr ation processes.
Using original dat a from a village of origin in the Phil ippines, this study combi nes social network analy sis and
descriptive method to create a narrative about the role of social networks in the diffusion of international mi-
gration behavi our within the community. Knowi ng the initial distribution a nd relative position of pioneer s in the
network at the onset provides a glimpse of the potential role of pioneers’ connectivity in spurring subsequent
migration ac tivities. Furthermore , by tracing the flow of migration c apital among cohorts o f migrant households
and accounting fo r their social relations with on e another, we understand the rol e of tie strength in the process
of migration perpetuation. This is the first empirical analysis of the role of network composition and structure
using social net work analysis on migrat ion diffusion accoun ting for the flow of migrati on- related capi tal. The main
research ques tion being explore d is – What is the role of s ocial network str ucture and composi tion in the ability of
networks to pe rpetuate international m igration behaviour to contr ibute in the debate about why so me migration
leads or fails to le ad to more migration?
The following se ction (2) provides an account of the r elevant literature on networ k structure's role in migra-
tion diffusio n, the influence of tie str ength and pioneer mig rants. This is followed by a d escription of the data an d
methodolog y (3). Section 4 contains th e results and discussion . Section 5 concludes .
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Migration diffusion and network structure
To understand the role of network structure, migration scholars borrowed insights from network theory.
Ana lysin g netw ork st ruct ure pr ovide s noti ons of ex pans ivene ss, an attri bute us eful for eff icie nt info rmati on dif fu-
sion and interconn ectedness which is usefu l for tapping social suppo rt1.. Because migratio n is facilitated through
information and social support, examining one's migration network's expansiveness and interconnectedness is
important in understanding migration perpetuation. However, obtaining these attributes is difficult because it
requires heavy data collection, something that has not been done until Blumenstock et al., (2019).2. Applied to
the context of inte rnal migration decisio n in Rwanda, Blumens tock et al., (2019) exploited a novel so urce of data –
mobile phon e activities, to r eveal network str ucture parameter s such as “expansivenes s” measured as a per son's
distance- 2 and di stance- 3 neighbourhood and “inte rconnectedness” measured as the extent of cluster ing in a
person's loca l subnetwork. Using soci al network analysis, th ey found that ‘the average migr ant derives more util-
ity fro m “interconnected ” networks that provide s ocial support than from “expansive” networ ks that eff iciently
transmit infor mation (2019: 1). While this novel stud y provides useful insight s on the role of network str ucture in
migration deci sion- making, it was implemente d in the context of internal migrat ion which may vary significa ntly
from international migration d ynamics.
The prevailing body of empirical works on migration networks did not examine network structure in a similar
manner as in Blum enstock et al., (2019), and no one has ever used s ocial network analysis to expl ain migration
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