Unit 5 Exam Questions Flashcards
Question 2(c): Explanation of simultaneous migration in and out of rural settlements
Push and pull factors: Younger individuals may leave to seek education and employment (push factors such as limited local opportunities). Simultaneously, older individuals may move in due to rural appeal for retirement (pull factors such as a quieter environment).
Transport improvements: Better transport networks facilitate both types of migration.
Employment shifts: Decline in primary-sector jobs can push working-age individuals out, while growth in tertiary activities (e.g., tourism) may attract others.
House prices: Rising costs may drive out younger, less affluent residents while attracting wealthier retirees.
Flexibility from technology: Internet and remote work make rural living more feasible.
5(a): Comparison of voluntary and forced international migration
Voluntary migration:
Migrants choose to move for better opportunities, e.g., employment or education.
Typically involves younger, skilled individuals or families.
Planned journeys with financial resources.
Forced migration:
Occurs due to war, persecution, natural disasters, or economic crises, leaving individuals no choice.
May include diverse age groups, often vulnerable populations.
Often unplanned and reliant on aid for survival.
Comparison points:
Voluntary migration has economic or quality-of-life motivations; forced migration is driven by survival.
Forced migration often results in refugee flows to neighboring or safe regions, while voluntary migration tends toward destinations with economic prospects.
Forced migration faces more legal constraints and humanitarian issues.
Include examples for development: Syrian refugee crisis (forced) vs. migration of skilled workers to HICs (voluntary).
5(b): Explaining the pattern of international refugee flows
Patterns:
Refugees predominantly move from LICs or conflict zones to MICs and neighboring regions.
Examples: Syrian refugees to Turkey, Lebanon, and Europe; Rohingya refugees from Myanmar to Bangladesh.
Flows often follow proximity (distance decay model), cultural similarities, or historical ties.
Causes:
Human factors: War, ethnic cleansing, famine, persecution.
Natural disasters: Floods, droughts, earthquakes.
Push-pull dynamic: Push factors include insecurity and scarcity; pull factors include safety and better prospects.
Feedback loops: Chain migration or refugee networks help establish routes and destinations.
2(c): Suggest reasons for the differences in the age/sex structures
Ageing populations in HICs: Longer life expectancy and lower birth rates lead to a higher proportion of elderly.
Youthful populations in LICs: Higher birth rates and lower life expectancy result in more dependents and a smaller elderly population.
Migration impacts:
HICs: Older populations may include retirees moving in, while younger individuals may leave for opportunities elsewhere.
LICs: Younger males dominate migration to urban areas for work, leaving a higher proportion of females in rural areas.
Employment opportunities: LICs may attract young, low-skilled labor for manual jobs, whereas HICs attract professionals with experience.
5(a): Describe how distance influences migration
Distance decay: Migration decreases as distance increases due to greater costs, time, and obstacles.
Perception of pulls: Diminishes with increasing distance, making potential migrants less likely to move.
Cost and time: Longer distances require more financial and logistical resources, limiting migration to wealthier or more determined groups.
Cultural barriers: Language, customs, and social norms differ more significantly over greater distances.
Permanency of migration: Longer distances often involve permanent relocation rather than temporary migration.
Examples: Short-distance moves are common for jobs or education within the same country, while long-distance moves often involve skilled labor or refugees fleeing severe crises.
5(b): Explain obstacles and barriers (other than distance) that limit migration
Economic barriers: High costs of departure, travel, and resettlement, including opportunity costs.
Political/national barriers:
Immigration laws, quotas, or border restrictions.
Varying permeability of borders based on political climates (e.g., refugees vs. economic migrants).
Natural obstacles: Physical features such as deserts, mountains, rivers, or oceans that impede travel.
Social/cultural barriers:
Language differences, social hostility, or discrimination.
Lack of networks or support systems in the destination area.
Knowledge and perception: Limited awareness or misinformation about the destination can deter migration.
Psychological inertia: Fear of the unknown or attachment to familiar surroundings.
Examples: Refugees from war-torn regions face bureaucratic hurdles and natural obstacles, while economic migrants encounter financial and legal constraints.
2(c): Explain how education influences international migration decisions
Pull factors of education abroad:
Higher education opportunities motivate individuals to migrate for better qualifications and prospects.
Impact on employment:
A higher education level makes securing jobs abroad easier, especially in skilled industries.
Entry restrictions:
Some countries favor migrants with higher education levels, facilitating smoother entry.
Awareness of opportunities:
Educated individuals are better informed about migration options through media and networks.
Overcoming fear/inertia:
Higher education builds confidence and reduces resistance to migration compared to less-educated individuals.
Examples: Nigerians migrating to the USA or UK for university education and subsequent employment.
5(a): Describe how age affects migration
Mobility of younger populations:
Young adults migrate for education, employment, or adventure, driven by fewer obligations and greater adaptability.
Inertia in older populations:
Older people often resist migration due to attachments to their communities and lower adaptability to new environments.
Retirement migration:
Some older adults migrate to regions with favorable climates or lower living costs after retirement.
Dependent migration:
Very young individuals typically migrate as part of family moves, not independently.
Age-specific push-pull factors:
Young adults respond to job opportunities, while older migrants may prioritize healthcare and lifestyle.
Examples: Students migrating to HICs for higher education or retirees moving to coastal areas.
5(b): Explain why migration decreases with distance from the source area
Cost as a friction:
Longer distances increase financial costs (travel, relocation) and logistical challenges.
Knowledge gap:
Migrants have less awareness and fewer connections in distant locations, reducing the perceived pull of far-off destinations.
Increased risk:
Longer distances are associated with greater uncertainty and fewer fallback options, deterring many migrants.
Intervening opportunities:
Closer destinations often fulfill migrants’ needs, reducing the need to move farther.
Effort and time:
Greater physical and temporal effort required for long-distance migration discourages many.
Examples: Migration flows from West Africa to Europe (diminishing numbers with distance).
2b) What are some reasons why the data on remittances may not be accurate
Reluctance to disclose financial details:
Migrants or families may be unwilling to share the true extent of remittances due to privacy concerns or fear of taxation.
Recall bias:
Respondents may inaccurately report remittance amounts due to forgetfulness or estimation errors.
Access issues:
Some migrants or households might not have been surveyed, resulting in incomplete data.
Literacy or language barriers:
Communication issues could lead to misreporting or exclusion from the study.
2(c): What are some negative impacts of rural-urban migration on rural areas
Family disruptions:
Migration can lead to the breakup of families, as breadwinners leave for cities.
Labor shortages:
Loss of young, working-age adults results in reduced agricultural productivity and economic activity.
Population imbalances:
Rural areas are left with a higher proportion of elderly and children, increasing dependency ratios.
Abandoned properties:
Homes and fields may be left untended, leading to decline and disrepair.
Dependence on remittances:
Rural families may rely heavily on remittances, creating a disincentive for local economic activity.
5(a): Describe one or more patterns of international economic migration
Skilled migration to HICs:
Professionals, such as doctors or engineers, move from LICs/MICs to HICs for better job opportunities (e.g., Indian IT professionals to the USA).
Labor migration to MICs:
Construction workers and domestic helpers migrate to emerging economies (e.g., South Asian workers in the Gulf countries).
Seasonal migration:
Agricultural laborers migrate temporarily for harvest seasons (e.g., from Eastern Europe to Western Europe).
Chain migration:
Migrants move to areas where family or community members have already settled, forming ethnic enclaves.
Gendered migration:
Male-dominated migration for manual labor and female-dominated migration for domestic work.
5(b): Explain why forced (involuntary) international migration occurs
Political reasons:
Conflict, war, or persecution leads to displacement (e.g., Syrian refugees fleeing civil war).
Social causes:
Ethnic or religious conflict forces people to seek safety abroad (e.g., Rohingya fleeing Myanmar).
Economic factors:
Extreme poverty or inability to meet basic needs forces migration (e.g., Venezuelans migrating to Colombia).
Environmental drivers:
Natural disasters, desertification, or climate change push people out of their homes (e.g., Pacific Islanders relocating due to rising sea levels).
2(c): Outline how push and pull factors cause rural-urban migration in LICs/MICs
Push factors:
Economic: Lack of jobs, poverty, and low agricultural productivity drive individuals out of rural areas.
Environmental: Natural disasters, droughts, or resource depletion force migration.
Social/political: Poor access to education and healthcare, family conflicts, or instability in rural regions.
Pull factors:
Economic: Better job opportunities and higher wages in urban centers.
Social: Access to better education, healthcare, and improved living standards.
Environmental: Availability of infrastructure such as clean water and electricity in cities.
Interaction of push and pull:
Both factors work together, creating a dynamic that motivates individuals to leave rural areas for cities.
5(a): Describe two intra-urban migrations
Movement to the CBD:
In HICs, young professionals or retirees move into regenerated inner-city areas for proximity to workplaces or leisure facilities.
Example: Gentrification in London’s Docklands.
Betterment migration:
Residents move from informal settlements to government-supported housing developments or from smaller homes to larger ones in suburban areas.
Example: Relocation programs in cities like Mumbai, India.
5(b): Explain why residential segregation occurs in many urban areas
Economic factors:
Differences in income lead to segregation by affordability (e.g., luxury areas vs. low-income zones).
Social factors:
Ethnic or cultural groups cluster for support, shared services, and safety.
Market factors:
Gatekeeping by landlords, real estate agents, or planning decisions.
Urban planning:
Deliberate zoning or historical legacies (e.g., apartheid in South Africa).
Examples: Slum areas in cities like Nairobi or racial segregation in US urban areas.
