past paper questions

Question 1

Explain why migration into and out of some rural settlements can occur at the same time

Answer 1

• push and pull approach
• different groups do the moving e.g. old move in to retire but young move out to find further education or jobs
• improved transport allows both in and out migration
• changes in employment structure in rural areas e.g. loss of jobs in primary but gains in tertiary e.g. tourism
• internet allows more flexible working so locate where other factors have greater influence e.g. entertainment or scenery
• house prices – increases attract wealthy older migrants but force out younger less well off
• planning controls e.g. National Parks – limit housing development but encourage economic development
• government policies

Question 2

Compare the characteristics of voluntary and forced (involuntary) international movements of
people

Answer 2

• forced where there is no choice/voluntary there is a choice
• age/sex profile of the migrants
• socio-economic differences
• contrasting pushes (and pulls)
• journey length/direction – mode of travel
• volume of movement with time
• timing of movement – and time taken
• step/chain migration
• differences in constraints and obstacles to their movement

Question 3

Using examples, explain the pattern of international refugee flows

Answer 3

• insecure areas due to e.g. civil unrest, war, famine, ethnic cleansing
• pushes vs pulls
• attitudes of governments
• availability of transport/accessibility
• social and cultural factors
• the location of natural disasters e.g. drought, low-lying flood prone areas

Question 4

Evaluate the impacts of one international migration stream on its destination(s)

Answer 4

• environmental e.g. increased pollution from refugee camps
• economic e.g. cost to the economy, supply of cheap labour
• social e.g. friction over housing, jobs, new foods introduced
• cultural e.g. language, religion
• political e.g. creates friction with locals
• the view of which is the greatest impact (or whether it is positive or negative) may vary with location, level of technology, population density, volume of refugees etc. Also it will vary over time – short vs long term.

Question 5

suggest three push factors that caused migrants to move from the area

Answer 5

• Mountainous relief – steep slopes
• Cold climate – lots of cloud
• Limited flat land for crops
• Long way to shops/services/entertainment
• Lack of employment opportunities/limited range of jobs/seasonal jobs
• Poor communications – few roads, poor internet
• Danger of mass movement/avalanches due to steep slopes
• Loneliness/remoteness – away from towns with their schools, entertainment, etc.

Question 6

suggest three pull factors that could attract people into the area

Answer 6

• Tourism – employment opportunities
• Mountain recreation – e.g. skiing
• Escape from noisy towns to ‘peace and calm’ of countryside
• Clean air/free from pollution
• Jobs in farming/forestry/fishing
• Cheap housing/land
• Scenic beauty
• Strong community spirit as everyone knows each other (small population)

Question 7

Explain why the rate of rural-urban migration often varies with the age of the migrant in LICs/MICs

Answer 7

• Young keen to move into urban areas for: education, employment, entertainment + urban area is seen as more dynamic.
• Middle aged – may move out of rural area as want better opportunities for their children or to get promotion, etc.
• Old – unlikely to leave rural area for urban as inert, high cost of moving, like rural environment, friends in area. Many elderly retire to their village roots in LICs. Old move to urban for health reasons – more care/support.

Question 8

Describe the process of stepped migration

Answer 8

Stepped migration is a process which occurs in distinct stages (1) where a migrant initially heads for a small town and then after a period of time moves on to a large settlement (1), over many years taking a number of steps up the urban hierarchy (1). This usually occurs in rural to urban migration (1).

Question 9

Explain why stepped migration is less likely to occur in international migration

Answer 9

• There are few opportunities to move from country to country
• There are more barriers and constraints in international migration
• More difficult to absorb culture or gain information prior to the move
• The idea of moving up a hierarchy of countries would be difficult
• Would involve extra costs

Question 10

Explain why people migrate within urban settlements (intra-urban movements)

Answer 10

• economic, social, cultural, environmental and political push and pull forces at work whilst noting there are relatively few barriers to such movements
• life cycle model of intra-urban migration such that
  changing family circumstances
• roles of opportunity costs (as in the intervening opportunity model) and other types of economic factors such as transport, employment

Question 11

‘Residential segregation is the main impact of intra-urban population movements.’ With the aid of examples, to what extent do you agree with this view?

Answer 11

• Intra-urban movements (within the same urban area) often lead to separation of the urban population by age (life cycle notion), mobility, income, ethnicity, culture and socio-economic status
• Like often attracts like due to similar needs/wants or security or discrimination
  -Movements enable this ‘sorting effect’
• But is it the main impact? Economic, social/cultural and political impacts may be more important.
• impacts may vary with time/development, with location, for different groups and the exact scale and
  nature of the urban area (and the perception of them by the individual moving). Some may even distinguish between separation and segregation