The Impact of Parental External Labour Migration on the Social Sustainability of the Next Generation in Developing Countries

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The subject is interesting but the text has several flows.

The structure is not adequate. The introduction is too long and an extensive literature review lacks. The presentation of the content is confuse at different points, and thus coherence is a weak aspect of the work.

The filedwork is poor and quite old, more than 2 years ago.

Author Response

These are our responses to your reviewers:

English language and style are fine/minor spell check required

The text was double-checked and corrected.

Are the research design, questions, hypotheses and methods clearly stated?

The design, questions, and methods have been revised and improved.

There is no need of hypotheses since the research method is qualitative.

Are the arguments and discussion of findings coherent, balanced and compelling?

The discussion of the findings is included in the “Results and Discussion” chapter.

For empirical research, are the results clearly presented?

Empirical research results are clearly presented in the “Results and Discussion” chapter.

Is the article adequately referenced?

The article has 66 references.

The introduction is too long and an extensive literature review lacks.

The Introduction is long because we needed to provide as wide a frame as possible to understand migration from Eastern Europe to Western Europe (migration from Africa and Asia has been widely presented in the literature of the last decades).

The literature review covers more than 40 titles.

The presentation of the content is confused at different points, and thus coherence is a weak aspect of the work.

The presentation of the content is OK now.

The fieldwork is poor and quite old, more than 2 years ago.

The study started from qualitative research in the Republic of Moldova in 2019, which was later extended to Romania. It includes literature dedicated to migration from developing countries during the last decade, and to the Covid-19 pandemic during the last two years. It is ongoing research.

Thank you and best regards,

Mihaela Gavrila

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

This is a useful piece of research from a migration sending country (Romania), based on a small, qualitative study of 'left-behind' children who are now adults. The paper is well-written, and the review of literature is comprehensive and informative, and provides good intellectual underpinning for the qualitative study. Conclusions are appropriate, and should lead to a fuller study which is either qualitative, quantitative, or both. The theme addressed and the results presented are highly relevant to the issues of sustainability. A country whose skilled workers are forced to emigrate through lack of development in their home country, are part of a disadvantaged class with the price paid in terms of their biological family's disadvantage. Implicit in the findings of this (and other) research are implications for policies of sustainable development in economically disadvantaged countries.

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

Thank you for taking the time to review the manuscript. Please see the attachment with the new form of our article. 

These are our responses to your review:

English language and style are fine/minor spell check required.

The text was double-checked and corrected.

Best regards,

Mihaela Gavrila

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

The authors have attempted to shed light on an important area. There is little research in the field. However, the structure of the paper and the nature of data (qualitative data fine but the presentation of it in statistical way via tables and figures) make this paper weak. This could be a good qualitative paper. The authors' survey of literature in the Introduction was not conducted in an organized way. The review of existing knowledge does not engage with mainstream migration literature and theoretical arguments. 

Author Response

Dear Editor,

Below are our answers to the two reviewers of our paper “The Impact of Parental External Labour Migration on the Social Sustainability of the Next Generation in Developing Countries”.

First of all, we were surprised to see the differences between the two reviews: the first one, 2 x Can be improved and 4 x Must be improved, versus 2 x Yes, 3 x Can be improved, and 1 x Must be improved.

Second, here are the answers to the comments and suggestions of the first reviewer.

Is the content succinctly described and contextualized with respect to previous and present theoretical background and empirical research (if applicable) on the topic? – We have improved this aspect.

Are the research design, questions, hypotheses and methods clearly stated? – We have improved this aspect.

Are the arguments and discussion of findings coherent, balanced and compelling? – We have improved this aspect.

For empirical research, are the results clearly presented? – We have improved this aspect.

Is the article adequately referenced? – The reviewer himself / herself mentions that “There is little research in the field.” So, yes, the article is adequately referenced.

Are the conclusions thoroughly supported by the results presented in the article or referenced in secondary literature? – We have improved this aspect.

The structure of the paper and the nature of data (qualitative data fine but the presentation of it in statistical way via tables and figures) make this paper weak. – We have improved this aspect by removing the tables and figures and by reformulating their contents.

The authors' survey of literature in the Introduction was not conducted in an organized way. The review of existing knowledge does not engage with mainstream migration literature and theoretical arguments. – The survey of literature was conducted in an organised way and it does engage with mainstream migration literature and theoretical arguments. The references followed the fine thread uniting official views on the matter (UNICEF) – the perils children without parental presence and guidance are subjected to – the impact of parent(s)’ absence on children – the situation of children left behind in the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Ukraine – the causes of migration from Eastern Europe to Western Europe.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 4 Report

The paper aims to determine the impact of parents leaving to work abroad on the lives of their left-at-home children. The issue discussed by the paper is interesting and significant. However, the article has some evident limitations.

1. As the authors argue in the last section, the paper demonstrates “the very limited size of the study sample” and “the subjective nature of the information collected through interviews”. Thus, its research findings are not adequately convincing, not to mention its representativeness of the entire research field.
2. Worse still, most of the research findings are hardly new. For instance, as the authors indicate in the abstract “the research results showed that the resulting greater financial stability did not guarantee that family ties would develop in a positive direction”, or in the conclusion “the conclusion of the research is that the material benefit gained is insufficient to compensate for the emotional loss suffered by the interviewee”. In my mind, to a large extent, there is a consensus on such a finding. The authors may expand the size of the study sample and further quantify the impact of parental external labor migration on the social sustainability of the next generation in developing countries.
3. The significant policy responses are missing. The authors merely indicate “the country needs to be politically and economically stabilized and to develop a pro-social legislative framework, so that its people can have well-paid jobs or other opportunities to support themselves, such as through small family businesses or agricultural activities”, and “the only solution for the families included in the study is the development of the economic environment and the political stabilisation of their developing country of origin by the opening of new opportunities for those who want to work”. In my point of view, making these changes and achieving the goal is not easy. Are there some more specific and feasible measures that the country's government can take? Besides the country's government, can social capital, citizens, and NGOs make some changes?

Author Response

Dear Editor,

Below are our answers to the two reviewers of our paper “The Impact of Parental External Labour Migration on the Social Sustainability of the Next Generation in Developing Countries”.

Are the arguments and discussion of findings coherent, balanced and compelling? – We have improved this aspect.

For empirical research, are the results clearly presented? – We have improved this aspect.

Is the article adequately referenced? – The reviewer himself / herself mentions that “There is little research in the field.” So, yes, the article is adequately referenced.

Are the conclusions thoroughly supported by the results presented in the article or referenced in secondary literature? – We have improved this aspect.

1. As the authors argue in the last section, the paper demonstrates “the very limited size of the study sample” and “the subjective nature of the information collected through interviews”. Thus, its research findings are not adequately convincing, not to mention its representativeness of the entire research field. – This is a pilot study for a larger scale study – this is why it is not extensive.
2. Worse still, most of the research findings are hardly new. For instance, as the authors indicate in the abstract “the research results showed that the resulting greater financial stability did not guarantee that family ties would develop in a positive direction”, or in the conclusion “the conclusion of the research is that the material benefit gained is insufficient to compensate for the emotional loss suffered by the interviewee”. In my mind, to a large extent, there is a consensus on such a finding. The authors may expand the size of the study sample and further quantify the impact of parental external labor migration on the social sustainability of the next generation in developing countries. – Research can confirm or disprove somebody else’s findings. Well, this research confirms that what happens in developing countries from Eastern Europe matches what happens anywhere else on the Globe because of parent(s)’ migration.
3. The significant policy responses are missing. The authors merely indicate “the country needs to be politically and economically stabilized and to develop a pro-social legislative framework, so that its people can have well-paid jobs or other opportunities to support themselves, such as through small family businesses or agricultural activities”, and “the only solution for the families included in the study is the development of the economic environment and the political stabilisation of their developing country of origin by the opening of new opportunities for those who want to work”. In my point of view, making these changes and achieving the goal is not easy. Are there some more specific and feasible measures that the country's government can take? Besides the country's government, can social capital, citizens, and NGOs make some changes? – Debating policy in the field of migration was not among the objectives of the study.

Thanking everybody for your hard work and good intentions,

Mihaela Gavrila-Ardelean

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

This paper is ready for publication 

Reviewer 4 Report

The revised manuscript merely addressed the comments proposed by the reviewer(s).