Social Factors Affecting the Migration of Rural Youth with an Emphasis on Place Attachment

One of the important concerns of rural youth is whether they should stay in their place of ​​residence or select a different place to live and work. There are some circumstances and factors that encourage them to leave and some that encourage them to stay. Therefore, the issue of rural youth immigration is not a common and concern-free process. These young people are always faced with choices in life. Accordingly, the main purpose of the present research is to find social factors affecting the migration. It also aims to determine whether attachment to the living place has a role in migration of rural youth. Using multistage cluster sampling and survey method, 800 young people in the villages of the two cities of Hashtrud and Osku were studied. Research findings derived from path analysis indicate that the place attachment, quality of life, investment in the place, life satisfaction, income and secondary education have a negative effect on leaving the village while the variables of being single, having immigrant family member, college education and unemployment have a positive effect on leaving rural areas.Attachment to rural community can act as a strong and long-term barrier to youth migration from the village.According to the high degree of correlation of the attachment to rural community with the levels of participation, sense of responsibility and investment in living place, this social factor can lead to economic productivity and has been a very effective factor in improving the economic and welfare status of villages.