Going rural: Qualitative perspectives on the role of place attachment in young people's intentions to return to the country

Abstract Rural areas in Australia are experiencing a mass out-migration of young people. The causes and impact of this out-migration are well documented. However the role of place attachment, in particular attachment towards urban areas, in the decision of whether to move back to rural areas remains unexplored. This research adopted a social constructionist epistemology to examine the migration intentions of young people from rural backgrounds in Western Australia, who were currently living in urban areas. Specifically, we sought to explore the role that place attachment to rural or urban areas plays in young people's interests in returning to rural areas. Eleven young people (eight women and three men, aged 20–24) who had lived in rural Western Australia for at least ten years and were currently living in a city participated in semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Through inductive thematic analysis, the findings suggest that rather than place attachment young people's connections towards urban areas appear to come from relationships and employment opportunities. Whereas for rural areas the attachment is focused on the place, participant's positive memories and the desire for their children to have the same upbringing. Our findings indicate that young people in the 20–24 years age group were not yet considering moving back to rural areas, but maintained an interest in relocating in future. These findings highlight the importance of place attachment in return migration but also the critical role that relationships play in migration intentions. Rural communities that seek to retain and grow their young adult populations should work to foster connected communities and sustainable employment opportunities.