Migration in Alaska

EPSCoR All Hands meeting

May 14, 2009

Anchorage

Stephanie Martin

Institute of Social and Economic Research

University of Alaska Anchorage

Anchorage, AK USA

Acknowledgements

• National Science Foundation– Social Transitions in the North– Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic– Boreas– Migration in the Arctic– EPSCoR

• North Slope borough• National Park Service, Alaska Department of Fish and

Game

• US Census Bureau

Connections

• Macro effects of micro-decisions– Community effects of out-migration

• Micro effects of macro forces– Climate change– Global economy

• So far integrated over projects and communities – Who moves and why– Are migrants better off– Return migrants

• Goal to extend projects by integrating over disciplines and extending geographic and cultural scope– Out-migration– Return

Integration

930935

1615

10101149

777

1985-90

1995-00

Iñupiat migration in Alaska

Surveys

• Not designed to be migration surveys• Most ask where did you live 5 years ago or 1

year ago • Where were you born

• Return migrants - moved back to the community where they grew up.

• In-migrants – moved to a community other than where they grew up.

• Stayers – never left.

Migrant groups in the surveys

• More women move out• More men move back• Young adults• Some places, women with children

Who moves

Why people move

• More women than men considered leaving– Pull. Women cite own or children’s education,

family as reasons.• More men want to stay.

– Negative push factors. Hunting and fishing one of the main reported reasons.

What else?

• Return migration is important because of its implications for community level well being.

• Important for individual well-being because it is related to family ties and social support. Both essential for well-being.

Return Migration

• In Northern Alaskan communities, about 1/3 are return

• Return migration varies by community– Some communities are relatively new and

weren’t around when respondents were young.

– Some communities people leave and don’t return.

Return Migration

• Return migration varies by gender.– Mirroring the census data showing that more

women leave and more men return– Of men living in Arctic communities, 41% are

return migrants. – Compared with 34% of women

Why people leave

• Education– 52% of male return migrants reported leaving

for education– 42% of women return migrants

• Jobs– Equal percentages of men and women return

migrants (about 21% reported leaving for jobs)

Why people return

• Overwhelmingly, people return to be with family– A larger share of men (68%) than women

(58%)• A slightly larger share of women (13%) than men

reported returning for jobs• About 7% of both men and women reported

returning for subsistence.

Characteristics of return migrants

• Educated• Employed • Subsistence participation

– Less in whaling, walrus – Same in other activities

• Social support• Family ties

Moving forward

• Macro effects of micro-decisions

- Out-migration and its effects on communities• Effects of macro forces on micro-decisions

– Effects of climate change on communities• Leaky system.

Practical Importance

• Denali Commission and other federal agencies• State funding for schools, local government• State sport hunting/subsistence trade-offs• Urban areas – providing services• Understanding migration in other places

Different community profiles

• More very small communities (37 places)• Declining populations• Schools closing• High subsistence harvest but fewer species

– Moose, salmon, caribou

Well-being

Subsistence

Jobs Income

Social & family ties

Migration

Global social change

Physical change

River levels

Fire

Community Viability

Fuel prices

Biological change

Changes in wildlife

Households/Communities

Opportunities elsewhere

Infrastructure damage

Regional/local effects

Summary

• Until now: Integrated research in one field over time

• Going forward: Integrate research across disciplines

• Moved from micro effects on macro decisions to macro effects on micro

• Migration is a good example of leakage from system.

Research questions

• What are the points of contact between global forces and communities/households?

• What are thresholds for change?• Link these changes to resilience? • Resilience of what? Boundaries of system.

Leakage. • Community location?• What happens if communities vanish? Decay.