The effects of childhood migration on later identity development

Since the 1970s residential mobility has been seen as influencing an individual's life course and decisions. Studies have shown that these influences are more pronounced and significant on children who experience migration as opposed to adults. The purpose of this thesis is to begin to establish a holistic theory identifying potential mitigating factors which will allow for successful identity development of the child. The critique shows that age, cohort location, parental support, social networks, reference groups, social capital, and social structures all need to be taken into account. However, the relationship between these variables and successful identity development of a migrating child is complex and three tiered and needs further investigation.