Chapter 8 

Internal Migration

• Migration: crossing of administrative boundaries, long-distance travel, permanent change in residence
• Migrants: people who changed address and who moved to a different administrative jurisdiction
• Non-migrants: people who changed their address but stayed within the same administrative jurisdiction
• Immigrant: move into a country
• Emigrant: move out of a country
• Migration studies depend on estimates
• Census: most comprehensive data source for migration

Laws of Migration

• Most migrants travel short distances
• Urban expansion has a gradual effect on migration
• For every stream of migration in 1 direction, there is a corresponding counter stream
• Migration is more likely among rural populations
• Women are more likely to migrate short-distances
• Technological development stimulates migration
• Economic motives are the most important determinants of migration

Mobility Transition

• 5 phases:
  • Pre-modern traditional society
  • Early transitional
  • Late transitional phase
  • Advanced society
  • Super advanced society

Typological Models

• Innovating movement: motivated by the desire to improve one’s socioeconomic status
• Conservative movement: motivated by the desire to escape the situation that poses a significant threat to the well-being
• Depends on:
  • Type of interaction involved
  • Migratory force assumed
  • Class of migration

Spatial Models

• Distance-gravity model: different places within some defined geographical system exert differential gravitational pull (attracting potential migrants)
  • When people migrate, they generally prefer to travel as short a distance as possible
• Intervening opportunities model: the number of people moving a given distance is proportional to the number of opportunities at that distance

Neoclassical Macroeconomic Model

• Neoclassical macroeconomic model: differential economic opportunity structures across geographical areas are the key determinants of internal migration patterns

Rational Actor Model

• Rational actor model: the decision to move is based on the assessment of the long-term benefits of relocation in relation to the long-term costs
  • Importance of values and goals

Lee’s Theory

• Pushing or pulling factors influencing someone migrating or not

Todaro’s Model of Rural-Urban Migration in Developing Countries

• Perception of an expected significant wage differential between rural and urban areas

Social Demographic Aspects of Migration

• Migration: is a selective process
• The selectivity of migrants’ characteristics has been declining/weakening
• The age pattern of migration:
  • Pre-labour-force years: low chance of migrating
  • Labour-force stage: the highest probability of migrating
  • Post-labour-force phase: moderate chance of migrating
• Sex-ratio of in and out migration stays around 1

Migration and “Social Disorganization”

• High rates of migration are associated with rapid social and economic change