Sociological studies of migration mobility of Ukrainian youth: experience and prospects

Abstract

The experience of conducting sociological surveys on migration mobility of Ukrainian youth is analyzed, including nationwide surveys of migrant workers with specifics for different age groups, surveys of youth commissioned by public authorities, and individual surveys of scientists and experts in special studies. A review of existing surveys allowed to identify the most extensive and authoritative studies and conduct a critical evaluation. These include “Youth of Ukraine” (commissioned by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine), “Migration activity of student youth of the Carpathian region of Ukraine” (Dolishniy Institute of Regional Research of NAS of Ukraine), “Research on migration sentiments of student youth in the conditions of visa liberalization” and “Study of migration attitudes of students of Lviv (Lviv Polytechnic)”, “Social aspects of the transition from school to university students of rural schools and schools of national minorities of Ukraine” (Taras Shevchenko National University of Luhansk), “Migration moods of student youth” (Uzhgorod National University). The article reveals that the results of the national surveys “External labor migration of the population of Ukraine” for 2008, 2012, and 2017 provide very limited information in terms of different age groups. It argues that despite some experience, there are no systematic sociological surveys of migration mobility of youth in Ukraine to determine the potential of migration and the causal characteristics of migration movements. Given the rapidly growing potential of youth migration in Ukraine, the positive dynamics of educational emigration and the need for sociological surveys of youth on the impact of migration mobility on the development and capitalization of human potential are substantiated. The results of such survey will provide information on how migration impacts the potential of youth and the development potential of the donor territory. The assessment of migration across various components of human potential confirms its impact on the development of youth potential, as well as income and wealth, and reveals the level of its capitalization. The authors emphasize an urgent need to conduct situational surveys of youth on the potential of migration and re-emigration intentions during mass forced displacements.