Does Social Transformation Drive Out-Migration? Perceptions and Changes

Mary Boatemaa Setrana (), Joseph K. Teye, Ebenezer G. A. Nikoi, Edward Asiedu, Charity Osei-Amponsah and Emmanuel Yakass
Additional contact information
Mary Boatemaa Setrana: Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana, Accra P.O. Box LG 59, Ghana
Joseph K. Teye: Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Accra P.O. Box LG 59, Ghana
Ebenezer G. A. Nikoi: Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Accra P.O. Box LG 59, Ghana
Edward Asiedu: Department of Finance, University of Ghana Business School, Accra P.O. Box LG 78, Ghana
Charity Osei-Amponsah: International Water Management Institute, West Africa Office, Accra PMB CT 112, Ghana
Emmanuel Yakass: Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana, Accra P.O. Box LG 59, Ghana

Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: Migration and social transformation are major drivers of socio-economic development. Yet, the linkages between social transformation and migration in Ghana are poorly understood. This article seeks to shed light on how social transformation affects or is affected by migration, using mixed methods with transformationalist and social change theoretical lenses. At the same time, there have been retrogressive transformations in the economic conditions, technology and demography have improved and increased, respectively, and political and cultural factors have remained relatively the same over the past decade. Although there is a perceived bi-directional relationship between social transformation and migration, social transformation exerts greater influence on migration than migration has on social transformation except for higher educational attainment and improved household income. Therefore, the relationship between social transformation and migration is not balanced in our study area as the former influences more than the latter.

Keywords: migration; social transformation; globalisation; networks; remittances (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/4/234/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/4/234/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:14:y:2025:i:4:p:234-:d:1632346

Access Statistics for this article

Social Sciences is currently edited by Ms. Yvonne Chu

More articles in Social Sciences from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().