Translocal reciprocity: unpacking translocal livelihood in parts of Ghana

Abstract Migration is a common, but complex phenomenon. While there are several studies on rural-urban migration in Ghana, only a few have employed the concept of translocality for analysis. Thus, there was limited understanding of the embeddedness and networks of people in the translocal socio-economic field, the direction and intensity of translocal practices, how socio-cultural factors affect translocal ties over time, and the future migration aspirations of translocal migrants. To elucidate these topics, we employed the concepts of translocality and reciprocity, using empirical data collected and analysed through mixed methods. We found that migrants and their household members are strongly embedded in a translocal socio-economic field due to sense of belonging and familial reasons. Migrants use networks composed of family and friends, and by virtue of migration, they have connected their households in their place of origin to the place of destination and the spaces in between. We also found reciprocity of translocal practices between migrants and their household members, and their networks, except that migrants tend to send more than they receive. Thus, translocality sustains social capital across space through reciprocity. Also, translocal and reciprocal practices have contributed to diversifying economic activities and improving the livelihood of translocal households. Consequently, most migrants intend to live in the city and continue to have close relations with household members in the community of origin. While a few male migrants intend to return to their origin someday, the sense of belonging to the natal household for female migrants seems to wane after marriage.