Russian English-language teachers moving to China: value-orientation analysis of motivation

Abstract

This paper examines the motives of skilled Russians that guided them in their decision to migrate to China. To examine this issue, we collected 20 semi-structured interviews and analyzed them with the help of thematic content analysis. The received data on the respondents’ motivation were interpreted through the lens of Schwartz’s basic human values. The analysis revealed how people talk about their motivation and experiences and what meaning they give to them. As a result, common themes that emerged from the respondents’ narratives on their migration decisions were described and constructed. The themes include “traveling”, “looking for changes”, “finance”, “challenge”, “self-development”, “joke/game”, “adventure/venture”. The findings supported our idea that self-development is the leading motivation among skilled Russian migrants, while economic motive is described as secondary. This work could be a good starting point for getting a new insight into migration flows from Russia to China and further investigation of adaptation, Russian community in China, and reverse adaptation in Russia during the period of COVID-19 outbreak.