Motivation for emigration, values, wellbeing, and identification among young Russian Jews

We conceptualize motivations to emigrate as expressions of basic motivation s in the context of emigration. We propose three theoretically distinct mot ivations to emigrate: preservation (physical, social, and psychological sec urity), self-development (personal growth in abilities, knowledge, and skil ls), and materialism (financial wellbeing, wealth). We validate this typolo gy in a sample of 158 potential Jewish emigrants from Russia with confirmat ory factor analysis of reasons to emigrate. Each motivation correlates, as hypothesized, with the basic values theorized to underlie it. The relative importance of the motivations and their associations with preferred destina tion of immigration, group identifications, subjective wellbeing, and econo mic situation are also largely consistent with hypotheses. We discuss the g eneralizability of these motivations for understanding emigration in settin gs around the world.