The Role of Reverse Migration in the Economic Development of Villages in Natanz City

 

Extended Abstract
Introduction
The dominant form of migration in developing countries, including Iran, is from the village to the city. However, during the past two decades, another pattern of migration, reverse migration, has occurred in rural areas in such a way that in the findings of the general population and housing census of 2012, the number of reverse migrants is higher than the rural-urban migration. In the whole city of Natanz, due to its location in the center of Isfahan province, the city of Isfahan has access to the markets of Isfahan, Badroud, Khaled Abad, Natanz, and Targhroud. On the other hand, the physical development of Isfahan and its economic and social relations have various characteristics. During the past years, reverse migration flow to urban and rural settlements has taken place in temporary and permanent forms. The general goal is to investigate and analyze the role of reverse migration in the economic development of villages in Natanz. From a practical point of view, the results of such research provide solutions to the country's managers to implement better planning to prevent migration and encourage migrants to return. Reverse migration is when people return to their first place (origin) after a long residence in another place (destination). In other interpretations and definitions, reverse migration is considered a reaction to creating attractiveness in rural areas, which emerges through the establishment of income in activities such as agriculture or animal husbandry, retirement, and sometimes due to the hardships of urban life; a process in which a person or persons, due to various reasons, return to their first place again from the place they have chosen as their new place.
 
Methodology
This research is descriptive-analytical. The samples were based on Cochran's formula, and to complete the discussion, Krejcie and Morgan's sample size determination table was also used. Information was collected from 381 individuals across 24 villages through field surveys using a researcher-made questionnaire.
 
Results and discussion
Regarding gender, 84.78% of the sample was male, and 15.22% were female. Also, 94.75% were married, and 5.25% were single. The age group included 3.93% 20-30 years old, 17.85% 31-40 years old, 28.08% 41-50 years old, 27.30% 60-51 years old, 22.83% 61 years old. Out of the total sample, 2.62% are illiterate, 27.82% have a diploma, and 36.49% have a bachelor's degree, master's degree, or higher.
One sample t-test was used to study the factors affecting reverse migration. In order to evaluate the dimensions of the factors affecting the migration from the city to the village, the items were first oriented and it was combined as an average; considering the 5-point Likert scale in the research items, the number 3 was chosen as the theoretical median to evaluate the importance of the dimensions of the factors affecting reverse migration from the society's point of view. This research has been studied at a confidence level of 95%. Given the frequency of variables used for leveling (47 variables in the first step) and the importance of evaluating more important variables and determining the weight and importance of each variable, the factor analysis method was used. In this research, the exploratory factor analysis method was used to summarize data and identify causes. In order to determine the suitability of the collected data for factor analysis, the KMO coefficient and Bartlett's statistic, which were significant at the 1% level, were used, so they were suitable for factor analysis. By benefiting from the factor analysis technique in the principal factor analysis method, 6 factors with eigenvalues greater than 1 were extracted, and the variables for evaluating the dimensions of the factors affecting reverse migration were grouped in these factors based on the factor loading and after orthogonal factor rotation using the Varimax method. The 6 factors explained a total of 71.682% of the total variance related to the variables of factors affecting reverse migration.
In this research, the basic theory is the theory of human capital, which was proposed by Larry Shasta. According to the theory of human capital, the return migration of people is formed in the hope of benefiting from more prosperity in the village. The result of the research shows that the reverse immigrants have been able to be effective in the economic sector in both capital and idea sectors. In fact, the innovation of this research can be that the economy is based on reverse migration, and if there is a correct plan and vision in the programs and among managers, it can cause the growth and development of villages.
 
CONCLUSION
Population relocation and migration is a sign of the continuity of human life, which has a history as old as humankind. People who consider the continuity of life, social and economic activities, and the field of effort limited and short for themselves in a geographical place start to migrate. Among the spatial-location features related to rural areas, "lack of welfare and civil services" has played a special role in the appearance of the driver of migration to the city. However, with the development of welfare-civil services and the increase in the income of the agricultural sector and belonging to the original birthplace, the return of immigrants to rural areas is provided. The results of this research are related to the research of Shaojun Chen and Wurong Liu (2020); urban repulsion factors and attraction factors play a role in the migration from the city to the countryside. It is associated with Stockdale's (2014) studies concerning urban repulsions, such as the inability to create jobs in cities and rural attractions, such as age and retirement. It is associated with the studies of Edival (2015) about urban repulsions such as lack of job security and rural attractions such as retirement. It is associated with the studies of Langroudi et al. (2012) in the field of rural attractions, such as obtaining more income, increasing relative welfare, and improving human dignity for migrants returning to rural areas. According to the studies of Afrakhteh et al. (2015), in economic and cultural-ethnic causes, the least impact on reverse migration from the city to the village is associated.
 
Funding
There is no funding support.
 
 
Authors’ Contribution
All of the authors approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.