Internal Migration

Thursday, November 08, 2012 11:48 AM

Migrant: one who moves to a new place of resident Migration: movement from one place of residence to another Many ambiguities Data sources Very limited, especially for internal migration Most countries don't have system of registration for where you live -- must rely on census and other indirect estimates Census questions on: Place of birth Place of usual residence Duration of stay in present place of residence Place of prior residence Internal migration registration rare, except in some countries -- political problems Measures Stock vs. flow Flow: number of migrant into or out of a place, per year Stock: number of migrants in a place at a point in time -- existing migrants + new migrants In-migration rate: number of migrants coming into a place (per year per 1000 people) This is really a ratio though b/c in a rate, the denominator is the number of people at risk of a event, while the people in the city migrated to, the residents aren't at risk of migrating there -- denominator does not include the numerator Out-migration rate: number of people leaving a place (per year per 1000 people) This is a rate b/c everyone in a city is at risk of migrating Gross migration rate: in-migration rate + out-migration rate Net migration: gap b/w in and out migration Contribution of migration to population growth IM - OM / (IM-OM) + (B[irths]-D[eaths]) x 100 = % of PG (pop growth) attributable to migration ie. Net migration / PG x 100 Kind of migration Temporary migration -- ex. moving away to go to university We don't necessarily know whether it's a temporary or permanent move -- they may intend to go back but don't, or they may not intend to move back but do Permanent migration Circular/seasonal migration: you live for 6 months in one city/place, then go back home for the other half of the year -- like going to a farm just for planting season This is very significant withing domestic borders of poor countries especially Step migration: moving in different steps -- you move to one town for a year or two, move
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 Step migration: moving in different steps -- you move to one town for a year or two, move to a larger one, then move to a city Return migration Chain migration: once a few people are going from place A to place B, they attract more people from place A First people = pioneers, skilled, etc Short distance vs. long distance Intervening obstacles/opportunities Internal vs. international (emigration & immigration) Direction of migration Rural to rural Rural to urban Urban to urban -- especially in rich countries -- not very many rural areas to go to Urban to rural (going back to your roots...not very common though)
Reasons for migration Voluntary (because they chose to go) or involuntary (forced to go) Involuntary: IDPs -- internally displaced persons -- for a variety of natural or man-made calamities or state policies/pressures Hurricane Katrina, African slavery, Naziism & Jewish migration Ambiguous -- indentured labor? They have contracts, like 3-5 years, in theory will be given money to go back, but may be tricked, may not end up going back, may be stuck, etc Voluntary: push vs. pull factors Push usually economic -- job, land loss, etc push you, but can also be social -- feel discriminated against Get out of current place, who knows where you go Pull: attractions/opportunities of the place of destination -- anticipation/perceptions that life will be better in the new place, regardless of whether current place is bad Cultural factors -- ex. marriage Who migrates? Conditioned by reasons for migration Age, including life cycle stage -- peak at late-teens and twenties, peaks as children Sex -- depends on culture and opportunity structure Women moving to work as a nurse Individual vs family vs mass Skills/education/physical status Push factors -- negative selection (least skilled etc, except they're gneerally the most able-bodied) Pull factors -- positive selection (most skilled) Selection factors become less important over time -- chain migration effect Consequences of internal migration
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Consequences of internal migration At place of origin and at place of destination Demographic effects: Pop size in both places Pop composition in both places, esp age and ehtnicity Therefore there are effects on: Labor force, income Shortage of labor in origin But may have change in social structure in origin -- women left w/o men Issue if women aren't allowed to work, but may have positive effects b/c women are forced to do things typically "mens" work -- women become farm managers, etc Changes in income -- remittances increase -- people who leave may send back $ But then income inequalities can increase -- families w/o migrant worse off High fertility: every family wants at least 1 extra son to send out as migrant Place of destination: changes in labor force, productivity will either go up, or wages will go down and there will be issues Dependent on composition of migrants Inter-ethnic tensions -- depends on how different migrant group is, how well they assimilate You end up with migrants banding together -- black neighborhood, hispanic, etc -which creates tensions Modernization -- people bring ideas from city back to village
Migration within the US Shift in the "center of the population" -- where in US is pop evenly distributed around it Begin in Baltimore in 1790s, moved progressively west, until 1960, then moving south Post civil war -- move from south to NE and northcentral -- main black & poor whites Reversed since 1960s

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