ASSEMBLING“HOME”FOR RETURN MIGRANTS: A MOBILITY PERSPECTIVE

HUANG Chi-qin, LI Shuang, SU Xiao-bo, PENG Hui-jun

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY ›› 2026, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (5) : 12-22.

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HUMAN GEOGRAPHY ›› 2026, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (5) : 12-22. DOI: 10.13959/j.issn.1003-2398.2026.05.002
CULTURE

ASSEMBLING“HOME”FOR RETURN MIGRANTS: A MOBILITY PERSPECTIVE

  • HUANG Chi-qin1,2, LI Shuang2, SU Xiao-bo3, PENG Hui-jun2
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Abstract

As the number of rural returnees gradually increases, the concept of "home" breaks away from initial fixed notions amid reverse urbanization and undergoes continuous reconstruction during migration. Taking "home" as an important prism to examine the socio-spatial phenomenon of homecoming mobility, this paper applies the assemblage theory and grounded theory to explore the dynamic construction mechanism of "home". The results indicate that: 1) Home construction is an assembly process involving territorialization, deterritorialization, and reterritorialization, driven by both material and spiritual factors. 2) Mobility shifts returnees from passive perception to active shaping, reinforcing their subjective initiative. 3) Mobility blurs traditional home boundaries, fostering the ongoing dismantling and reassembling of "home" through multiple dynamic factors. Moving beyond conventional unidirectional perspectives, this paper highlights the fullprocess presentation of "home" from departure to return. In light of China's urban-rural dynamics, it broadens the application of assemblage theory and offers valuable insights for fostering new human-land interactions.

Key words

mobility / returnees / the construction of home / assembly theory

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HUANG Chi-qin, LI Shuang, SU Xiao-bo, PENG Hui-jun. ASSEMBLING“HOME”FOR RETURN MIGRANTS: A MOBILITY PERSPECTIVE[J]. HUMAN GEOGRAPHY. 2026, 41(5): 12-22 https://doi.org/10.13959/j.issn.1003-2398.2026.05.002

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