New found life : return migration to the Great Northern Peninsula

White, Sheila Mary (1992) New found life : return migration to the Great Northern Peninsula. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This thesis has a particular focus on Return Migration and its explanation in terms of the dynamics of the largely hidden social economy of rural Newfoundland. Often people think Newfoundlanders move back home to be with their families. What most do not realize is that moving back home to be with one's family is not as culturally associated as originally believed. Moving back home to be with one's family often means having more money to spend and being able to acquire material things that are unobtainable on the mainland. This is largely because of the hidden social economy. -- This thesis discusses in detail the social and economic benefits of living in rural Newfoundland. It explains that theorists who believe people move in search of work or those who believe that people move to be near family are not fully understanding return migration to rural Newfoundland. These theorists have not uncovered the economic benefits of living near family. -- The research for this thesis was completed through formal and informal interviews including participant observation of the lifestyle of the people on the Great Northern Peninsula. It was based on grounded theory with some preconceived hypotheses that later proved to be irrelevant to the study. The conclusions in this thesis were made following the research and therefore were conclusive based on hypotheses that became evident during the research. To demonstrate the presence of a social economy in rural Newfoundland, this thesis discusses the lifestyle on the Great Northern Peninsula and compares Stayers with Returnees. In addition to demonstrating that there are few differences between the two groups, this thesis discusses the migration experience of those who have gone away and returned home to a better lifestyle which they had not acknowledged before they went away. -- This thesis concludes that typical out-migrants from Newfoundland are searching for what they can only find in their home communities because they have limitations such as low skills and education levels that keep them from obtaining a better quality of life than they can have in rural Newfoundland. It further explains how the economic life in rural Newfoundland does not prejudice against those without skills or education, and that consequently most people live a lifestyle that is not that different from those who live in other parts of rural Canada. -- List of key words: Return migration; Great Northern Peninsula; Stayers; Returnees; Seasonal employment; Out-migration; Subsistence production; Informal economy; Migration, Fishery.

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