Places of Life Events as Bequestable Wealth: Family Territory and Migration in France, 19th and 20th Centuries

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that the family influences migration decisions in various ways, but very few of them take into account past migrations among the kinship group. In this study, we take advantage of new historical data, based on the TRA survey, to discuss the extent to which kinship influences migration. We use the concept of spatial capital to capture all the knowledge families possess about geographical locations. We are then able to show how this knowledge is—or is not—handed down from one generation to another. This is a key point of the analysis of migration as it means that migration decisions are not only influenced by individual characteristics or economic or historical context, but also by the past migration behavior of the family. As such, migration is not only an investment for the migrant or for his close relatives but can be seen as a long-term investment of the kinship group.