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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Migrer ? Rester? Rentrer ? Les raisons du processus migratoire dans une population d'Afrique subsaharienne francophone

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This study is a part of a research program aimed at understanding the reasons French-speaking Sub-Saharan African nationals settle in Europe and particularly in France. We decided to use metaphorically, the definition of motivation proposed by Vallerand and Thill (1993) to create an anonymous questionnaire to collect data on the construction of the migration process. All participants (N: 318) are French-speaking Africans, citizens of Sub-Saharan African Francophone countries, aged between 14 and 56 years old. For the analysis, we created two groups: participants who reside in their home country (n: 164), and the migrant population (n: 154). In cases where it was relevant, we subdivided the group of migrants into three subgroups to facilitate the understanding of migration dynamics. Participants were contacted through social networks and professional and personal relationships in Europe and Africa. The group analysis (Migrants vs. Non-Migrants) shows a predilection for economic reasons as reason to migrate ant to settle; the return is explained in terms of economic stability and the ability to provide knowledge and the means of development in the home country. These results confirm those of our 1st study(Velandia Torres & Lacassagne, 2012), in respect of the main factors determining the migration process. Despite the progress of this study, it remains one based on a qualitative approach, which does not seek to establish generalities applicable to all Africans wishing to migrate or in a migration process. Rather, it is the understanding of the reasons for migrating in a specific population, allowing access to underlying psychological phenomena. The results of our work provide three main objectives for future study: a) further the understanding of the contents of stereotypes about Africa, present in French society, b) determine more precisely the importance of reference point in explaining the grounds of the migration process and c) advance the understanding of relations between nationals of sub-Saharan Africa and the French population, thanks to the use of the RepMut questionnaire to measure racism and discrimination, among other phenomena.