Humanising research on (non-)migration decision-making: a situated framework (V1)

This paper proposes an analytical framework to address the question of what drives people to migrate, remigrate, or stay where they are. To do so, it draws from existing migration theories in different disciplines and situates itself within the vast literature theorising migration. The resulting framework focuses on (non-)migration decision-making, specifically the drivers of migration aspiration and intention. It views individuals as persons with internal processes in cognitive, emotional, and relational terms; subjectivity; agency; social world; and lived experiences. This humanising framework not only calls for engendering research on (non-)migration decision-making but also suggests several decolonising data-gathering techniques. It offers three analytical ways: thick contextualisation, life dimensions-focused analysis, and time-situated inquiry. Its humanising approach to individual (non-)migration decision-making is a response to several calls to make scientific inquiries more humane, inclusive, and grounded. [VERSION 1]