Factors affecting the migration of rural youth in Ardabil province by mixed methods

During the last three decades, Iranian society has been heavily involved in the phenomenon of migration from rural to urban areas and its socio-economic consequences. The growth of marginalized population, the emergence of new subcultures, the decline of agricultural production and the increase in the number of unskilled and semi-skilled workers have been the first and most obvious aspects of this phenomenon. This study was conducted to investigate and analyze the factors affecting rural youth migration in Ardabil province in two stages: qualitative (Grounded Theory) and quantitative. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data in the qualitative section. The statistical population selected 30 people for the quality department of general managers and deputies of Organization of Agriculture Jihad, Sports and Youth Department, Rural Cooperatives, Provincial Banks and Nomadic Affairs Department, which was coded after theoretical saturation in the interview. The statistical population of the quantitative section was 280 young people living in rural areas in Ardabil province. 162 people were selected based on Morgan table and stratified random sampling method. The obtained data set was organized in the form of 90 open codes, 59 concepts, 15 categories and 6 categories (intervening conditions, causal conditions, pivotal conditions, consequences, strategies and contextual conditions) after a continuous process of open, axial and selective coding. Finally, using the Smart Pls software, the fit of the obtained model was ensured and all significant relationships were identified. The results show that the most important reasons for rural youth migration; House and housing wear, social status and reputation in the city, difficult access to agricultural and livestock services, achieving their aspirations in cities, security and stability in urban life, and access to information and mass media.