“So, Why Did You Return?”: The Journey Back to the Periphery From the Perspective of Local Returnees

Rural and peripheral settings are diverse and context‐dependent, yet many are shaped by varying combinations of geographic distance, population size, access to resources and opportunities, and forms of social and community connectedness. These characteristics vary across contexts and may be associated with different configurations of disadvantage, marginalization, and place‐based strengths. The current study focused on the Israeli Northern periphery, aiming to trace the journeys of those born in the periphery as they move away and then return. It explores their perspectives on living outside the periphery, their reasons for returning, and their experiences upon returning. This study employs phenomenological methods and was conducted through semi‐structured interviews with 17 local returnees. A thematic analysis identified three main categories that characterize the locals' journey outside the periphery and back: outside the periphery is perceived as both fulfilling and allowing for a recognition of the strengths of the periphery; motivations for returning, which include economic and familial considerations on a practical level, and a sense of responsibility and recognition of local needs on a symbolic level; and life in the periphery after returning, which encompasses judgments from others about their return, the ambivalence of profit versus compromise, and local agency through action, entrepreneurship, and personal development. This complex journey is analyzed through the theoretical framework of Social Identity in relation to social action and collective action, highlighting the interviewees' sense of belonging and love for their community and its residents.