Migration into Urban Areas: a Sociological and Micro Perspective : A thematic analysis of how migration is used as a tool to gain personal development in Zambia

Sammanfattning: The pace of urbanisation in less developed regions creates consequences which cause problems such as housing, overcrowding and lack of living standards in the urban areas. A problem connected more to developing countries than developed countries that earlier went through the same process. One of the reasons why urbanisation occurs is because of rural-urban migration. This study focuses on why men and women migrate and use migration as a tool to obtain personal development. The methodological framework used is qualitative with abductive reasoning, and the research design is a case study. The case study selected is Zambia, specifically the slum area Misisi in Lusaka. Ten semi-structured interviews are conducted to gather empirical data. A selection needs to be made to do the interviews, which is contrived on the snowball sampling method and delimitations. The empirical data is coded through thematic analysis, and three themes are found and described in the findings, personal economic and educational development, network and gender differences. These themes are analysed through the chosen sociological analytical framework; Bourdieu's class theory and West and Zimmerman's theory doing gender. The findings show that individuals use migration as a tool to climb in societal class and obtain personal development in different capitals. Furthermore, the differences between men and women are not as vast anymore, women have started to focus more on themselves than on the family. This research follows the lines of Agenda 2030, specifically number 11, and can inspire a more profound interest in the subject of sustainable cities and communities with the findings. Continuing research can increase the understanding of how personal development affects the fast-growing urbanisation in developing countries with rural-urban migration.