Block 2 (Causes Of International Economic Migration)

Question 1

What are the three main causes of international economic migration?

Answer 1

• Poverty
• Primary commodity prices
• Poor access to global markets

Question 2

How does poverty cause international economic migration?

Answer 2

Acts as a push factor

Extreme poverty: live on less than $1.90/day, cannot afford basic needs so emigrate to improve qual of life
Relative poverty: higher income than those in extreme poverty but want to increase their income further

Question 3

Give an example of people emigrating due to the push factor of extreme poverty?

Answer 3

800,000 migrants from Zimbabwe - S Africa

Question 4

Give an example of people emigrating due to the push factor of relative poverty?

Answer 4

650,000 migrants from Poland - UK (2004-2014)

Question 5

What is the pattern of international economic migration?

Answer 5

Global periphery - Semi-periphery - Global core

Question 6

What is the global periphery?

Answer 6

• 30 nations with lowest GNI

- Pre-industrial economy (agriculture dominates)

Question 7

What is the semi-periphery?

Answer 7

• 80 nations with medium GNI

- Industrialising/growing economy

Question 8

What is the global core?

Answer 8

• 80 nations with highest GNI

- Post-industrial economy (office + retail dominant)

Question 9

What are primary commodities?

Answer 9

Raw, unprocessed material that is extracted or harvested (e.g. minerals and food)

Question 10

How do primary commodity prices cause international economic migration?

Answer 10

When prices are inconsistent they cause issues in the economy, limiting its ability to develop + causing people to seek better economic opportunities abroad

Question 11

What causes inconsistent primary commodity prices?

Answer 11

Overproduction - yields too high, surplus causes pricing fall
Poor governance - can’t negotiate well, so other countries + MNCs are exploitative when trading, not keeping to fixed price

Question 12

Give an example of international economic migration due to primary commodity prices

Answer 12

DRC

• Poor governance after made independent in 1960
• Other countries + MNCs took advantage + exploited them, buying their resources below real market value

Question 13

What type of migration might occur when primary commodities are sold for high prices?

Answer 13

Forced migration

• Resource curse theory (good resources cause conflict)
• E.g. conflict over diamonds in Sierra Leone

Question 14

How does poor access to global markets cause international economic migration?

Answer 14

Inability to sell goods for correct price may cause economy to decline, increasing migration as people move abroad for better wages

Question 15

Why may a country have poor access to global trading markets?

Answer 15

• Not be part of a trading bloc (so bloc makes them pay import tariffs)
• Not get gov subsidies (so can’t afford to produce + sell products cheap enough to be competitive in global trade)

Question 16

Give an example of international economic migration due to poor access to global markets

Answer 16

Migration out of Kenya

• Kenyan farmers not part of EU trading bloc
• Often get bad prices for flowers due to paying import tariffs

Question 17

How has the WTO tried to decrease international economic migration due to poor access to global markets? Was this successful?

Answer 17

• Tried to reduce import tariffs
• Tried to reduce gov subsidies given in HIC

Not very successful - members of trade blocs + HICs don’t want to give up their advantage

Question 18

What is the case study we use to exemplify economic causes of international migration?

Answer 18

E.European (particularly Polish) migration to UK since 2004

Question 19

What are the three cultural + political factors driving recent migration?

Answer 19

• Diaspora communities
• Colonial and commonwealth links
• Government legislation permitting freedom of movement

Question 20

What is the case study we use to exemplify cultural + political causes of international migration?

Answer 20

Indian migration to UK

Specifically exemplifies diaspora communities cause

Question 21

Define diaspora communities

Answer 21

Widespread dispersal of a migrant population + their descendants in a country, who come together to form groups/communities

Question 22

How do diaspora communities drive migration?

Answer 22

Migrants are attracted to areas with diaspora communities because of the advantages they provide - influencing migration patterns

Question 23

What advantages do diaspora communities provide for migrants?

Answer 23

• Supportive links with family/friends
• Help finding employment
• Less language barrier
• Cultural service availability (e.g. religious centre)

Question 24

Give an example of migration being driven by the cultural/political factor of diaspora communities

Answer 24

Chinese diaspora

• Communities in neighbouring countries: Indonesia, Malaysia
• Communities in distant countries: Chinatown UK
• Caused by many years of international sea trade with China

Question 25

Define the commonwealth

Answer 25

54 states, almost all of which are former territories of the British Empire

Question 26

How does the commonwealth/colonial links drive migration?

Answer 26

Political link has made commonwealth countries or post-colonial countries familiar to each other, increasing migration between them (e.g. many comes to Britain)

Question 27

How has Britain used its commonwealth + colonial links to drive migration
Give an example

Answer 27

Due to political links to these countries, Britain has encouraged people to migrate to Britain from these countries when labour gaps emerge
E.g post WWII labour gap - encouraged bus drivers from Jamaica

Question 28

Give an example of migration being driven by the cultural/political factor of colonial/commonwealth links

Answer 28

Windrush Generation

• 1950s-60s
• 500,000 people from Caribbean
• Britain encouraged immigrants because of political ties to fill the post-WWII labour shortage

Question 29

How does government legislation permitting freedom of movement drive migration?

Answer 29

Government legislation can remove intervening obstacles (e.g. showing passports) increasing the amount of migration into and out of countries

Question 30

Give an example of migration being driven by the cultural/political factor of government legislation

Answer 30

Schengen Agreement (1995)

• Free movement of people + goods across EU
• Usually no need to show passports
• Easier migration from periphery (S + E Europe) to core (N + W Europe)

Question 31

Define a global superpower

Answer 31

Country that can exert influence + power at a global scale

Question 32

Define a regional superpower

Answer 32

Country that can exert influence + power at a regional scale

Question 33

What are the two ways superpowers can exert their influence/power

Answer 33

• As a hard power

- As a soft power

Question 34

Define hard powers

Answer 34

Superpowers that exert their power/influence using force

Military action/threat, economic sanctions, trade policies, aid policies

Question 35

Define soft powers

Answer 35

Superpowers that exert their power/influence using persuasion

(Cultural influence, international decision making/leadership, moral/ethical authority)

Question 36

Define smart power

Answer 36

A superpower that is most successful due to its ability to use a combination of hard + soft powers

Question 37

Give an example of a global superpower + smart power

Answer 37

USA

• Dominated world affairs since 1945
• Rich: 5% population own more than 40% of global personal wealth
• Influential soft power: cultural influence - e.g. Americanisation + McDonaldisation
• Influential hard power: military power + senior position in NATO

Question 38

Give an example of a regional superpower

Answer 38

Qatar

• Often regarded as Middle East’s regional superpower
• Not quite a global superpower
• Rich: Highest GDP/capita due to oil and gas (over $100,000)
• Influential: Al Jazeera media network (rivals BBC + CNN), host of 2022 World Cup