| Summary: | Social changes have triggered a drive for change among young people, leading to a spatial reverse mobility trend among university graduates in China, amid shifts in both domestic and international contexts. Using university graduates in Guangzhou as a case study, this study employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating questionnaire surveys, cyber-ethnography, and in-depth interviews. Grounded in spatial and social mobility theories, this study explores the motivations, processes, and outcomes of reverse mobility from the perspectives of structural factors and individual agencies. The findings reveal that: (1) the unequal distribution of spatial resources, shifts in mobility within modern society, and the unique socio-historical environment of Generation Z graduates jointly shape their reverse mobility preferences, with the unequal distribution of spatial resources driving university graduates to consider their location choices from both urban and individual perspectives. Resources available in cities are uneven, and individuals have varying access to these resources. They need to uncover comparative advantages in order to "overtake on a curve." The transformation of societal mobility further facilitates the diversification of movement. Spatially, rapid intercity movement enabled by technology allows some local resources, previously exclusive to first-tier cities, to be more easily accessed across regions. The rapid flow of information further amplifies regional disparities and provides a multifaceted understanding of different cities. Graduates from Generation Z, who are in a unique historical era and social structure, increasingly focus on noneconomic factors such as class mobility, quality of life, and cultural consumption when making employment decisions, no longer simply considering economic opportunities. (2) The factors influencing the reverse migration of university graduates mainly include the realization of their economic, social, and educational cultural capital, as well as considerations of the cost of urban living and the overall environment. According to survey results, university graduates had a clear understanding of the differences between cities. They recognized that first-tier cities offer better matching job opportunities for their fields and higher social status in the future, along with superior cultural resources and public services. However, they are also aware that competition in first-tier cities is intense, the possibility of upward social mobility is relatively low, housing costs are high, and quality of life is lower compared to that in non-first-tier cities. (3) The interviews further confirmed that reverse spatial mobility to lower-tier cities does not necessarily signify a decline in the social status of graduates. Many adapt well to new locales, embedding themselves both spatially and culturally and constructing new social networks that afford a quality of life that is not easily attainable in larger cities. This study developed a new framework for understanding the mechanisms underlying university graduates' reverse mobility by systematically examining pre-migration motivations and post-migration local negotiations and adaptation. By taking a more comprehensive view encompassing economic, non-economic, structural, and agentic factors, this research deepens our understanding of man-milieu interactions during the social transition period. It offers insights into local development and talent attraction strategies and provides policy recommendations to promote balanced urban development in a highly mobile society.
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