Conclusion: The Returns from Theory and a New Approach to Home

Abstract

The book concludes by offering an answer to the guiding question of why the hostel residents prefer back-and-forth mobility over definitive return at retirement. Given the limited explanatory value of the arguments from neoclassical economics and family localisation, an assessment is made of the rival theories which were proposed: the new economics of labour migration, structuralism, transnationalism and social systems theory. In the light of the findings of Chaps. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, no one theory adequately accounts for all the phenomena observed: at various points in the data there is support for different theories. Nonetheless, it is argued that Luhmann’s theory of social systems has the greatest potential for fruitful application in the future, since it offers a radically fresh perspective on why people migrate and the structure of the society into which they integrate. This insight is developed by applying an innovative systems theoretic approach to an idea which features prominently in migration research, including in the title to this book, namely the concept of ‘home’. Building on conventional conceptions of home predicated on bonds to social group or territory, it is argued that to be ‘at home’ can also mean upholding claims to be ‘included’ in different social systems. This argument is particularly salient in light of a recent policy measure offering a guaranteed monthly income to hostels residents who return to countries of origin, and the book’s final section considers the prospects for this legislation and the ageing residents which it targets.