Block 2 (Causes Of International Economic Migration) Flashcards
What are the three main causes of international economic migration?
- Poverty
- Primary commodity prices
- Poor access to global markets
How does poverty cause international economic migration?
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
Give an example of people emigrating due to the push factor of extreme poverty?
800,000 migrants from Zimbabwe - S Africa
Give an example of people emigrating due to the push factor of relative poverty?
650,000 migrants from Poland - UK (2004-2014)
What is the pattern of international economic migration?
Global periphery - Semi-periphery - Global core
What is the global periphery?
- 30 nations with lowest GNI
- Pre-industrial economy (agriculture dominates)
What is the semi-periphery?
- 80 nations with medium GNI
- Industrialising/growing economy
What is the global core?
- 80 nations with highest GNI
- Post-industrial economy (office + retail dominant)
What are primary commodities?
Raw, unprocessed material that is extracted or harvested (e.g. minerals and food)
How do primary commodity prices cause international economic migration?
When prices are inconsistent they cause issues in the economy, limiting its ability to develop + causing people to seek better economic opportunities abroad
What causes inconsistent primary commodity prices?
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
Give an example of international economic migration due to primary commodity prices
DRC
- Poor governance after made independent in 1960
- Other countries + MNCs took advantage + exploited them, buying their resources below real market value
What type of migration might occur when primary commodities are sold for high prices?
Forced migration
- Resource curse theory (good resources cause conflict)
- E.g. conflict over diamonds in Sierra Leone
How does poor access to global markets cause international economic migration?
Inability to sell goods for correct price may cause economy to decline, increasing migration as people move abroad for better wages
Why may a country have poor access to global trading markets?
- 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)
Give an example of international economic migration due to poor access to global markets
Migration out of Kenya
- Kenyan farmers not part of EU trading bloc
- Often get bad prices for flowers due to paying import tariffs
How has the WTO tried to decrease international economic migration due to poor access to global markets? Was this successful?
- 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
What is the case study we use to exemplify economic causes of international migration?
E.European (particularly Polish) migration to UK since 2004
What are the three cultural + political factors driving recent migration?
- Diaspora communities
- Colonial and commonwealth links
- Government legislation permitting freedom of movement
What is the case study we use to exemplify cultural + political causes of international migration?
Indian migration to UK
Specifically exemplifies diaspora communities cause
Define diaspora communities
Widespread dispersal of a migrant population + their descendants in a country, who come together to form groups/communities
How do diaspora communities drive migration?
Migrants are attracted to areas with diaspora communities because of the advantages they provide - influencing migration patterns
What advantages do diaspora communities provide for migrants?
- Supportive links with family/friends
- Help finding employment
- Less language barrier
- Cultural service availability (e.g. religious centre)
Give an example of migration being driven by the cultural/political factor of diaspora communities
Chinese diaspora
- Communities in neighbouring countries: Indonesia, Malaysia
- Communities in distant countries: Chinatown UK
- Caused by many years of international sea trade with China
Define the commonwealth
54 states, almost all of which are former territories of the British Empire
How does the commonwealth/colonial links drive migration?
Political link has made commonwealth countries or post-colonial countries familiar to each other, increasing migration between them (e.g. many comes to Britain)
How has Britain used its commonwealth + colonial links to drive migration
Give an example
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
Give an example of migration being driven by the cultural/political factor of colonial/commonwealth links
Windrush Generation
- 1950s-60s
- 500,000 people from Caribbean
- Britain encouraged immigrants because of political ties to fill the post-WWII labour shortage
How does government legislation permitting freedom of movement drive migration?
Government legislation can remove intervening obstacles (e.g. showing passports) increasing the amount of migration into and out of countries
Give an example of migration being driven by the cultural/political factor of government legislation
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)
Define a global superpower
Country that can exert influence + power at a global scale
Define a regional superpower
Country that can exert influence + power at a regional scale
What are the two ways superpowers can exert their influence/power
- As a hard power
- As a soft power
Define hard powers
Superpowers that exert their power/influence using force
Military action/threat, economic sanctions, trade policies, aid policies
Define soft powers
Superpowers that exert their power/influence using persuasion
(Cultural influence, international decision making/leadership, moral/ethical authority)
Define smart power
A superpower that is most successful due to its ability to use a combination of hard + soft powers
Give an example of a global superpower + smart power
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
Give an example of a regional superpower
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
