5.1 Component Of Population Change Flashcards
Overview of migration process
- migration starts at an origin + is complete at an area of destination
- migration that shares a common origin + destination form a migration stream
- for every migration stream, there is a reverse counter stream
- migrants in between origin + destination are known as en-route
Example of migration stream
- between 1948 + 1970 nearly half a million people left the West Indies to live in Britain
- some were seeking better opportunities for themselves + children
- some came to work for a while, save money + then return home (counter stream)
- some were recruited because Britain was short of workers to run the transport system, postal services + hospitals
Example of chain migration
- West Indian migrants came from specific islands + then migrated to specific areas of London following earlier arrivals who had established themselves in these districts
Example of relay migration
Example of stepped migration
Push factors of voluntary migration
- few services
- lack of job opportunities
- unhappy life
- poor transport links
- natural disasters
Pull factors of voluntary migration
- access to services.
- better job opportunities
- more entertainment facilities
-better transport links - improved living conditions
- family links
Example of voluntary migration
- when Botswana became an independent country in 1966 it was one of the poorest in the old (GDP of $300) - the standard of living was low
- many men migrated to neighbouring South Africa to work in gold mines - 40,000 Botswanan men worked in South African fold mines between 1970 and 1980
Different types of forced migrant
- refugees - a person who can’t return home because of fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political, fleeing from war, disasters, famine
- internally displaced persons - a person who is forced to leave their home region because of unfavourable conditions (political, social, environmental etc.), but does not cross any boundaries
- asylum seekers - people who claim to be refugees - usually have to undergo legal procedures which the host country decide whether they qualify their refugee status
Examples of forced migration
- Libya 2011 - uprising began when may people tried to overthrow the leader Colonel Gaddafi after 41 years in power
- he was determined to hold onto to power so civil war erupted - many had to leave to escape war
- as of January 2024, approx. 85% of Palestinians in Gaza were internally displaced during the 2023 hamas-Israel war
Examples of seasonal migration
- ski season - 18 to 25 Brits work in European ski resorts in winter
- farm workers - vegetable/strawberry pickers from Eastern Europe in the UK
- 2.5 million Mongolians are nomadic pastoralists (they move their livestock to find pasture) - rainfall is unreliable so movement is frequent
Britain to Australia
- 1919 - present
- British emigration to Australia after WWI
- ‘ten pound poms’ - helped the economy + were attracted by £10 fare
European Jews to USA
- 1940 - present
- around 125,000 Germans (Jew immigrants) moved to the USA between 1933 and 1945
- to escape persecution under Hitler’s control/ nazis
Turkey to Germany
- 1963 - present
- 1963 Germany created Guest Worker programme
- needed labour from elsewhere in Europe to support the reconstruction of Germany after WWII
- 1963-2010, 40,000 Turks settled in west Germany
Mexico to USA
- large scale
- Mexico to USA migration for job opportunities, to escape crime, better quality of life etc.
Economic reasons for migration
- employment opportunities/ relocation of job
- wage rates involved - people move to improve their financial position
- feel pushed out by lack of employment opportunities or low wages
Social reasons for migration
- Marriage - large movement of women when they marry e.g. India
- joining the family
- racism, cultural isolation, religious beliefs
- better quality of life + social welfare support
- better education opportunities - secondary + higher education
Political reasons for migration
- states legislate against political beliefs, ethnic groups or religious beliefs e.g. Stalinist push for industrialisation forced millions of Russians from rural areas to urban areas
- persecution
- war + conflict
- intervening obstacles e.g. obtaining visas or world wars sowed the fox of European migrants to America
Physical reasons for migration
- sudden natural disaster
- climate
- drought + famine
- lack of resources
Economic impacts of migration on origin (positive)
- area benefits from remittances sent home
- upon return, migrants bring new skills to the country such as the ability to speak foreign languages - these new skills can help the origins economy
- less pressure on resources such as food + social services e.g. healthcare
Economic impacts of migration on origin (negative)
- loss of young workforce; those with skills + entrepreneurial talents move, slowing economic development
- loss of labour may reduce inward investment by private companies, increasing dependency on govt. initiatives
Social impacts of migration on origin ( positives)
- population density is reduced + BR fall as its the younger population that migrates - this can help ease overpopulation
- remittances sent home by economic migrants can be used to finance improved education + healthcare
- returning migrants increase social expectations for communities e.g. increasing demand for better leisure facilities
Social impacts on origin (negatives)
- marriage rates fall + family structures break down as men migrate producing a generation of single mums
- loss of young people migrating up can increase dependency ratio
- returning retired migrants may increase social costs on the community as support mechanism aren’t in place for them
- migration of men + young families can cause a loss of cultural leadership + traditions
Political impacts on origin
- policies to encourage natural increase can be developed
- policies to encourage immigration to counteract outflow
- request for international aid
Economic impacts on host (positive)
- migrants take up less desirable, menial jobs which natives would not take but need filling
- the host country can gain skilled labour for cheap
- there is a labour surplus; those with skills + education fuel the economy
- the “skill” can be filled with migrants
- costs of retirement can be transferred to country of origin
Economic impacts on host (negative)
- migrants children must be educated, they wont necessary speak the native language of the host
- over dependency in some industries on migrant labour, leading to a lack of jobs for people native to the country
- much of the money earned m migrants isn’t spent in host country - sent back too origin instead
- increased pressure on resources + services e.g. healthcare
Social impacts on host (positive)
- creation of a multiethnic society increases understanding + tolerance of other cultures
- influx of new or revitalised services e.g. kebab shops + Turkish baths
- people from other countries can encourage the learning of new languages, helping people develop skills for working internationally
Social impacts on host (negative)
- dominance of males is reinforced (due to large number of male migrants), especially in cultures where women already have a low status
- aspects of cultural identity are lost, especially in second generation children
- segregated ethnic areas are created e.g. china town
Political impacts on host
- discrimination against ethnic groups + minorities which can lead to civil unrest + extremism
- calls for control on immigration
- entrenchment of attitudes which may encourage fundamentalism
What was Ravenstein’s theory (1880s)?
- most migrants travel short distances, proceeding step by step with the majority of movement involving stops along the way - as distance increases, migration decreases (distance decay)
- each stream of migration produces a counter stream of people moving the other way
- most migration is from agricultural areas to areas of commerce as urban dwellers are less likely to migrate than people in rural areas
- females are more likely to migrate internally, but movement of males is more common in international migration
- large towns owe more to migration that natural increase
- the volume of migration increases as transport improves + with the development of commerce + industry
What was the Gravity model?
- stated that the push-pull model is too simplistic -> push + pull factors operate within origin + destination
- the place offering greater opportunities (pull) = destination
- the place with limited opportunities (push) = origin
- greater the difference in opportunities = greater migration
- the availability of opportunities between place of origin + destination intercepts the flow of migration -> many migrants therefore stop at intervening cities + sometimes do not proceed to the larger city
What is Zipf’s inverse distance law?
- in space, distance is the largest barrier -> people migrate greater to smaller distances
- the principle of distance decay states that the interaction of people between places is inversely proportional to distance between places
- the magnitude of migration decreases with increasing distance
What is the Todaro model?
- previous models infer that rural-urban migrants have been attracted by the bright lights of the cities without understanding the present urban deprivation at the bottom of the socio-economic scale
- todaro challenged this - migrants are realistic + influenced by an accurate flow of information from earlier migrants from their rural community
- potential migrants carefully weighed up the costs + benefits of moving to urban area, anticipating income differential
- they are aware they wont be better off in the short term but might improve in the long term
What is Stark’s ‘new economic of migration’
- stark replaced the individual with the household as the unit of analysis
- todaro model suggested that migrants act individually according to the rationality of economic self interest
- however, migration should be seen as a form of economic diversification by families as costs + benefits are shared
- the cost of establishing the rural migrant in the urban area is carried out by the family who pays, with the return being remittances
What is the Marxist/structural theory?
- Marxist theory views labour migration inevitable in transition to capitalism
- structuralist theory draws attention to the advantage of migrant labour for capitalist production + emphasises the control capitalism has over migrant labour
- e.g. employers use migrant labour to reduce bargaining power of local labour
- internationally migration is seen as a global movement which labour is manipulated in the interest of HICs to the detriment of LICs
What is the difference between constraint and barrier?
- constraint can limit or restrict a person’s ability to move e.g. distance or cost
- barrier is a factor that could block or prevent movement - a physical barrier or a rule, law or policy
How do constraints + barrier affect internal migration?
- in most countries there are no legal restrictions on internal migration
- therefore the main constraints are distance + cost
How do constraints + barrier affect international migration?
- immigration laws present a major barrier in international migration where borders have to be crossed
What are the main barriers in terms of migration laws?
- prior WWI, movement was unrestricted - USA would take anyone as long as they weren’t a prostitute, lunatic or convict
- post WWII, there was a shortage of workers - there were control but rarely applied - 1940s + 50s West Indian migration to UK + immigration of Turkish guest workers to Germany
- from 1800 Australia has grown its population by immigration - over time migration laws have become more restrictive, currently laws involve a skill-based policy, s they only allow workers for a certain professions or trades that would benefit the economy
What dangers may be associated with the journey?
- physical factors: flood, drought, landslide + crossing water
- human factors: hostility from others, chances of accidents on the way - e.g. people fleeing Zimbabwe for South Africa have encountered bandits on both sides of of the border
Examples of constraints
- closing up costs - ‘closing up’ affairs in origin - e.g. selling your home incurs estate agent fees + you must pay to have your good transported
- transport costs - depend on mode of transport used + time taken for journey
- opening up costs - fees on buying a new property in the destination - other legal costs may be involved
Examples of barriers
- distance + landscape - landscape barriers such as seas + deserts that must be crossed
- human danger - e.g. bandits robbing Zimbabwean migrants crossing the border to South Africa
- govt. immigration laws - most countries require visas to enter + remain in the country + these are often not granted
- skills required for visas - skill test might be required e.g. in Canada, + only certain trades + professions will be allowed in
What might make migration easier?
- family + friends at destination
- being able to speak the language
- relocation packages/ new job
- knowledge of destination
- availability of transport/infrastrcutre
- education/skill level/qualifications
Why does mobility increase as development increase?
- improved transport/ infrastrcutre
- high incomes - can afford to move + transport costs become relatively smaller
- greater number + range of jobs available
- more remote areas opened up by resource development
- better communication so greater knowledge of other areas
- more even distribution of schools/hospitals - less need to locate near them
How do borders + controls act as a barrier?
- government immigration laws are often the biggest barrier
- most countries require visas to enter + remain in country - often not granted (only granted to skilled workers)
- Mexican immigrants face challenges at US borders due to strict immigration laws
- a skill test is required in Canada
How does sale of house act as a constraint
- cost of “closing up” affairs
- selling your house involves estate agent fees + you have to pay to have your goods transported
- constraint for people who relocate for work