Transcript Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration

Why Do
People
Migrate?
Why do People Migrate?
 Forced Migration (Involuntary)- imposing
authority or power producing involuntary
migration that cannot be understood based
on theories
 Voluntary Migration
Forced Migration
• Atlantic Slave Trade (1500s)
– Tens of millions of Africans carried from their homes to South America, the
Caribbean and North America to be sold as slaves and work on plantations.
The slave trade did huge amounts of damage to the African societies and
communities changing the cultural and ethnic geography of Brazil, Middle
Americas, and the United States
Forced Migration
Slaves Reaching British North America,
1601-1867 (in 1,000s)
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
1601- 1676- 1701- 1726- 1751- 1776- 1801- 1826- 18511650 1700 1725 1750 1775 1800 1825 1850 1867
Slide graphic courtesy of Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Hofstra University
Forced Migration
 The Trail of Tears, 1838: In the 1800s the U. S. government took lands from
thousands of Native Americans and forcibly moved them to other areas of
the country, far from their homelands.
Does forced migration still
exist today?
 In the form of
countermigration
 Governments send
back migrants
caught entering
their countries
illegally
 Ex: in the 1990s U.
S. sent back
Haitian arrivals
from Florida
Haitian Refugees
Voluntary Migration
 When a migrant weighs his options and choices
in response to a perceived opportunity, and the
result is movement
 When a person, family or group of people make
a voluntary decision to migrate, push and pull
factors come into play.
 Push factors- negative conditions and perceptions
that cause people to want to leave a place
 Pull factors- positive conditions and perceptions that
attract people to a new place
RAVENSTEIN’S LAWS OF
MIGRATION
Ernst Ravenstein:
- Answered the question- Why
do people volunteer to migrate?
1st Law of Migration
 “Every migration flow generates
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a return or countermigration”
In other words every outflow of
migration produces an inflow.
Migration is not just the number
of people leaving the area but
also those coming in.
Therefore “net migration” is the
number of immigrants minus the
number of emigrants.
By considering both factors of
the “net migration” equation you
see the actual growth of the city
or suburban area.
2nd Migration Law

“The Majority of migrants move a short distance”

A relatively self-explanatory law of migration. Migrating from small city to yet another
small city, such as from Coppell to Austin, is more common than moving internationally.

Since migration typically infers “crossing of state and/or political boundaries” this law is
extremely helpful to the understanding of migration patterns.
3rd Migration Law
 “Migrants who move longer
distances tend to choose big-city
destinations”
 Another law that is fairly obvious;
It is far more plausible for
someone to move to France for
the purpose of living and working
in Paris than it is for them to move
to France solely to enjoy the
French countryside.
 Typically when people move
longer distances their
destinations are in or near an
urban area.
4th Migration law
 “Urban residents are less
migratory than inhabitants of
rural areas”
 Those located in heavy industrial
or urban areas are more likely to
stay there.
 This migration law is closely
related to the costs
advantages/disadvantages of
urban residents compared to
those of rural ones.
5th Migration Law

“Families are less likely to make
international moves than young
adults”
 Young adults have less obligations
and transportation costs to worry
about when compared to those of
a small family.
 It is much easier for them to pick
up and leave the U.S. on a work
permit than it would be for a
family to do so.
 Aside from the problem of cost it
takes more time and effort to
move say four people to a new
country than it does to move just
one.
Migration Factors
 Also known as “push” and “pull”
factors these are the reasons for
the international migration of
thousand the world over.
 These factors include: Economic
conditions, political factors,
heated conflict and/or civil war,
environmental conditions,
culture and traditions, and
technological advances.
 In some situations people will
Net Migration of the UK
migrate, not for just one, but for
a combination of those reasons.
Economic Conditions
 The most common reason for
international migration in the
past few decades has been to
escape poverty.
 Recently America has seen a
great deal of illegal
immigration from the
Mexican border.
 Most of these immigrants are
people trying to escape the
poverty and get betterpaying jobs in America.
Atlanta
 Economic factors can also
affect the migration patterns
within developed states.
 Within the U.S. the still
growing information sectors
of Atlanta has attracted many
New Yorkers to the city for
job-related(economic)
reasons.
 Another reason for this influx
of migration to Atlanta over
the past decade is the
cheaper cost of living.
Political Circumstances
 As a citizen of the U.S. its easy to underestimate the benefits of an
unimpressive government but many people migrate for that very reason.
 In recent decades thousands have fled their home counties to escape the
growing influence of communism.
 Most of the time their destination is that of the U.S. and because of this their
history has become linked with our own.
 Vietnam and Cuba serve as
classic examples of how
political changes affect
migration flows.
 During the 80s more than a
hundred thousand Cubans left
their island nation in order to
escape the dictatorship of a
Communist leader.
 In what is today known as the
“Mariel Boat Lift” this mass
migration of Cubans now
accounts for the “little
Havana” and large
populations clusters of Cubans
in Miami and south Florida.
“Mariel Boat lift”
Armed Conflict and Civil War
 People living in war torn
countries are known to
migrate elsewhere to escape
the violence and political
instability.
 This is especially true when
the instability of the country
leads to armed conflict that
can bring injury and/or death
to its citizens.
 Such examples of forced
migration can be found
numerous times throughout
history.
 During the 90s civil war
erupted in Rwanda between
the Hutu and Tutsi tribes
resulting what was
essentially a genocide.
 This complete massacre was
not acknowledged as
genocide by the UN until
too late in the conflict.
 The hostilities here created
an enormous outflow of
migration into the
neighboring countries of
Zaire and Tanzania.
Environmental Conditions
 Of all the reasons for international migration the environment is rarely a
reason for traveling such extreme distances.
 Generally this type of migration is limited to certain events in history as well
as specific areas around the globe.
 The most common example today is among populations located around the
Pacific Ring of Fire where earthquakes and Volcanic eruptions are frequent.
 As stated before very rarely is
the environment viewed as so
hazardous to their family and
personal welfare that they
should move but occasionally
this does occur.
 The best example is the Irish
Potato famine of the 1840s
which forced thousands to
move because the
environment would no longer
provide them with food.
Potato Famine Memorial in Dublin, Ireland
Culture and Traditions
 When people fear that their
way of life is being
threatened they will move to
a location they view as
invulnerable.
 This may also exemplify
certain groups who keep
themselves separate of
mainstream society.
 The Amish in particular can
be seen as a people who
migrate to certain areas to
avoid outside influence that
may threaten their well
preserved lifestyle.
 There are several international
examples of this phenomenon
throughout history.
 The movement of Jews from the
former Soviet Union into Israel.
 The mass migration of the
Muslims of India into Pakistan
once it was declared an Islamic
State.
 Any movement by a group of
people who’s culture or lifestyle
is not one which is globally(or
universally) accepted by society
Power Relationships
 Gender, ethnicity, race and
money are all factors in the
decision to migrate.
 Employers who hire migrant
workers often have
perceptions of what kinds of
migrants would best work
for them.
 Women in the Middle East
hire Southeast Asian women
to work as domestic
servants, housekeepers, and
nannies. Hiring different
ethnicities from abroad
establishes a power
relationship between the
female head of house hold
and employee.
Technological Advances
 The technological advances that
have been made in the past
century make migration no
where near as hazardous as it
once was.
 Such advances in technology
actually have stimulated
migration worldwide.
 The invention of the airplane for
example has made many areas
of the world more accessible
than they once were.
Chain Migration
Chinatown in San Francisco
 A series of migrations within a
family or defined group of
people.
 Often begins with one family
member who sends money to
bring other family members to
the new location.
 Results in the clustering of
people from a specific region
into certain neighborhoods or
small towns.
Step Migration
 A series of shorter,
less extreme
migrations from a
person’s place of
origin to final
destination
 Moving from a farm to a
village, to a town, and
finally to a city
Sources
Internet Sources:

http://www.harpercollege.edu/mhealy/migrat/xp/mgraven.htm

http://www.csiss.org/classics/content/90
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http://www.revision-notes.co.uk/revision/171.html
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http://family.jrank.org/pages/1170/Migration-Theories-Migration.html
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APHG Textbook: Seventh Edition
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http://compassioninpolitics.wordpress.com/2007/09/28/sexual-harassment-hate-speechand-jena-6/

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/05fire/background/volcanism/media/tectonics
_world_map.html
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http://thunderations.wordpress.com/2010/03/13/the-irish-did-save-civilization-thencivilization-ground-them-down/
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http://www.thegeminiweb.com/babyboomer/?cat=8
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http://educononline.com/2008/11/07/ict-futureschoolssingapore-the-moe-and-the-amish/
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http://abagond.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/the-transatlantic-slave-trade/
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http://cubaninlondon.blogspot.com/2009/01/lattentat-yasmina-khadra-review.html
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De Blij, H. J, Erin Fouberg, and Alexander Murphy. Human Geography People, Place, and
Culture 9th Edition. New Jersey: Wiley, 2009
Forced Migration
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A refugee is “a person who has wellfounded fear of being persecuted
for reasons of race, religion,
nationality, membership of a
particular social group, or political
opinion.”
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However despite this widely
accepted definition the line
between voluntary migrant and an
involuntary one is often hard to
read.
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For this reason it was necessary to
catalogue 3 distinguishing factors
that set the involuntary migrants
apart from others.
The Atlantic Slave Trade was a
form of Forced Migration
 “Most refugees make their first
step on foot, by bicycle, wagon,
or open boat”
 In this scenario the effects of
technological advances have no
precedence.
 Those making their way to an
area of safety are most likely to
use these means of
transportation.
 This is because(or should be
because) circumstances at the
time prevent them from using
anything better.
Refugees via boat
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“Most refugees move without any
more tangible property than they
can carry or transport with them”
 Due to the urgent circumstances
of their situation a refugee would
only have time to bring what they
absolutely need(food, money, and
the close on they are wearing;
most likely nothing more).
 Anything else would slow them
down and prevent them from
making it to an area of safety.
 Migrants with moving vans and a
great deal of personal belongings
on them are clearly not going to
be considered refugees.
 “Refugees move without the
official documents that
accompany channeled
migration.”
 Chances are a refugee would not
be carrying a passport or ID of
any kind .
 Lack of identification is taken as
a sign of being a refugee, or
“displaced” person.
The Refugee Problem
 Across the globe refugees have
generated “major social
problems, ethnic strife, and even
environmental problems”
 Countries unprepared to take on
the inflow of migrants suffer
because they don’t have the
resources to take care of the
extra people.
 It is problem that grows every
year and the UN is unsure of a
solution.
Sub-Saharan Africa
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This portion of the world not only
contains the most third world
countries of any region of the earth
but also the most refugees.
Ethnic borderlines run through many
of the African countries in this region
causing clashes between the Islam
Arabs of the North and the
Christian/Traditional South.
The most notable conflict in the
region is the one raging in Sudan,
which has recently started to get
attention from American media.
The introduction of the “Lost Boys”,
Sudanese refugees trying to make a
better life in America, has shed some
light on the issues pertaining to that
region of the world.
North Africa & SW Asia
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This region in particular is known for
its religious conflict and hordes of
displaced Arab populations including
Palestinians and Kurds.
In fact the high numbers of refugees
here has left a deep impressions on
the American mental map and cultural
perception of the region as a whole.
Although the region has somewhat
stabilized over the years it will
probably never end to due its deep
roots in the regions history and
culture.
Geographers should expect the region
to forever be a source of refugees.
South Asia
 The most influential refugee
problem of the region lies
among the conflict between the
Tamil and Sinhalese of Sri Lanka.
 The Tamil demand for autonomy
separate from the Sinhalese has
meant death for many and an
“eviction” of sorts for those
alive.
 There are those within the Tamil
minority that choose to remain
peaceful but because the
situation has escalated feel its
safer to move elsewhere than
stay in Sri Lanka.
SE Asia
 Unlike other regions of the world
SE Asia does not have a
consistent flow of refugees
coming from any one place.
 As time changes apparently so
does the country with the most
political turmoil(something like a
game of “hot potato” with
refugee turnout)
 Vietnam had an exodus of “boat
people” after the war in the 70s.
 However later on Cambodia had
internal conflict which resulted
in refugee flood of over 300,000.
Europe
 The break-up of Yugoslavia was
one of the greatest refugee
problems of the 20th century.
 As Yugoslavia was in and of itself
a country of refugees the world
hoped that it would become a
“utopia” of sorts or rather a
European “us.”
 Unfortunately it could not
overcome its many inner
conflicts and different ethnic
clashes .
 It failed to create a permanent
home for the stateless nations of
Europe.
Elsewhere
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Outside of these realms relatively
few places have had problems with
refugees.

The only recent example is the
intranational refugee problem of
Columbia in the late 90s.
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Columbia, known for its frequent
production of narcotics, had areas
within the country which were
attacked by “paramilitary” units also
known as “narcoterrorists”.
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Areas which were attacked were
places especially vulnerable because
of their “out-of reach” location from
government protection.
Closing
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In summary although Ravenstein’s
basic laws are helpful to
understanding migration patterns
there are many other factors that
must be taken into account.
Types of migration and the reasons
behind it depend on the region of
the world the influx is coming from
as well as the history of migration
within that region. (Example: The
Middle East has a history of forced
Migration)
When assessing individual countries
it can also depend upon that
countries political relationship with
surrounding states.