3.01 The Study of Migration You should be able to answer the first question by describing push and pull factors. People move for a variety of reasons. Pull factors are conditions of a place that attract migrants. Places that lack jobs, security, and/or resources have push factors; this means that migrants will leave the place in search of better conditions. You may recall the principles of Ravenstein's laws that help us identify patterns of migration. Understanding Ravenstein's laws will help you identify the characteristics of migrants and where they settle. For example, young, single adults are most likely to migrate. Married couples with families, children, and the elderly are least likely to migrate. However, remember that Ravenstein's laws are more than a century old and do not apply to every case, especially contemporary patterns of migration. You should also be able to distinguish between voluntary and forced migration. In the cases of forced migration, people have no choice but to leave their home and relocate. Examples of forced migration include slavery, political persecutionn, and natural disasters. Cut out your flash cards by cutting ALL of the dotted lines except: Fold at this line Asylum Government policies that discourage the growth of population Forced migration Movements in which the participants have no choice but to relocate Friction of distance The idea that the number of immigrants is inversely proportional to the distance traveled Internal migration Permanent movement within the same country International migration Permanent movement from one country to another country Migration A permanent or semi-­‐permanent move from one location to another Migration counterstreams Group migrations from a new location back to a place of origin Migration selectivity The study of how likely a person is to migrate based on socioeconomic factors Push-­‐pull factors Factors that either cause people to leave their homes or ones that draw them to another area Ravenstein’s “laws” of migration A set of findings by E.G. Ravenstein with regard to aspects of migration Refugee A person forced to leave his or her country because of war, persecution, or natural disaster Remittance A sum of money sent from one individual to another Voluntary migration Movements in which the participants have freely made the decision to relocate 3.02 The Gravity Model of Migration You should recall that geographers create models to describe why spatial interactions such as migration occur. The gravity model, one model for understanding migration, focuses on two variables: population size and distance. The gravity model suggests that places with a large population attract more migrants, similarly to the way in which larger planets have more gravitational pull. The gravity model also mentions that migrants are more likely to move to a place that is close rather than a place that is far. The gravity model is limited, however, so you also learned about other factors that affect spatial interactions, such as complementarity, transferability, and intervening opportunities. In this lesson, you applied the concepts and models about migration to urbanization in China, and also to situations that are more closely related to your own life. Building these skills will help prepare you for the AP Exam and also for the decisions you will make about moving, travel, and other spatial interactions in your own life. Complementarity The idea that movement takes place when one location has a need or demand for something, and another location has an excess or supply of that item Distance decay The principle that the farther two locations are away from one another, the less likely there is to be interaction or migration between the locations Ethnic enclave An area where a group of immigrants from the same country is concentrated Gravity model of migration A model that says the likelihood of migration between two locations is proportionally related to the populations of those two locations and inversely related to the distance between the two locations Intervening opportunity A situation in which a need of people in one location can be met at a location that is closer than a third location This would prevent a spatial interaction between the two locations that are farther apart Spatial interaction Movement of goods, people, or ideas from one location to another Transferability The idea that infrastructures, such as roads or railroads, exist to move goods, people, or ideas from one location to another 3.03 Internal and International Migration You may recall that geographers look for patterns or clues that will help explain why people choose to move and where they settle. Certain trends and statistics help geographers predict developments in migration. Identifying the trends and interpreting the statistics will help you increase your awareness of migration patterns. The two main categories of migration are internal migration and international migration. In general, people move in search of new economic opportunities, and they are most likely to choose places as close to their place of origin as possible. Other factors that spark migration include war, desire for freedom and security, environmental changes, and political change, such as the relocation of a capital. Migration is a dynamic process that connects regions together. As people move, they may remain connected to their place of origin by sending home money or goods. They may also encourage the growth of ethnic enclaves within their new communities. Family members and friends often encourage people from home to join them in their new communities. When conditions are no longer beneficial to the migrant, he or she may choose to return home or find a new destination. Chain migration A type of migration that occurs when a group settles and gains a presence in the area Emigration Migration from a location Environmental degradation Destruction or deterioration of the environment and its ecosystems caused by overuse or loss of natural resources Human trafficking The use of force or threats of violence to treat people as modern day slaves, including forced migration and forced prostitution Immigration Migration into a new location Internal displacement Forced migration within a specific country Interregional migration Migration from one region of a country to another region of the same country Intraregional migration Migration within one region of a country Net migration The difference between the number of immigrants and the number of emigrants in a particular area Return migration A cyclical migration in which migrants leave an area for a period of time but eventually return to the area from which they left Step migration Migration in parts; for example, a migrant might move to a farm, then to a small village, next a town, and finally a major city 3.04 Forced Migration People move for a variety of reasons, but forced migration results from factors that make it dangerous or impossible for people to stay in their homes. Cultural conflict, political conflict, natural disaster, human trafficking, development, and environmental disasters can force people to move. The slave trade practiced by European countries created one of the largest forced migrations in history, forcing millions of Africans to migrate to the Americas. Today human trafficking by organized crime groups treats people as modern-­‐day slaves and predominantly preys on women and girls, many from South and Southeast Asia. Areas susceptible to earthquakes, floods, and volcanoes suffer from disaster-­‐induced displacements. Forced migrations affect all types of people—adults and children, men and women—because outside factors force their movement, not personal choices. Millions of people are forced to migrate each year because of circumstances they cannot control. Conflict-­‐induced displacement Forced migration due to armed conflict including civil war, generalized violence, and persecution on the grounds of nationality, race, religion, political opinion or social group when the government is unable or unwilling to protect the victims Internally displaced persons People who are forced to relocate to a different location within the home country 3.05 The impact on Host Countries The arrival of immigrants into a country has an impact both on the country and those who come to the land. Migration sparks a process of diffusion in which cultural ideas and goods are exchanged between the immigrants and residents of the host country. Immigrants go through a process of acculturation in which they shed certain behaviors and accept others from the host country. When geographers study the effect of migration on a host country, they look for patterns of diffusion. Those patterns will indicate how a host country changed and from where the changes came. The patterns can be hierarchical, as in the cases of Australia and Israel, where the governments encouraged certain policies such as multiculturalism to ensure unity within the nation. The patterns can be relocational when habits and customs from one area are transported and assimilated into another. For example, the institution of democracy moved to Australia and Israel from Western Europe. Language, customs, food, and other cultural characteristics can also transfer from groups of immigrants to the host country. The patterns can be contagious, as shown when groups of people leave an area to seek safety in another place, such as the moves of Afghans to Pakistan and Iran. Acculturation The adoption of cultural traits, such as language, by one group under the influence of another Anglo-­‐Celtic British-­‐Irish Assimilation The final completion of the cultural acculturation process, when a culture group loses all its original traits and becomes fully a part of a different, dominating culture Brain drain The loss of human capital as a result of emigration Brain gain The gain of human capital as a result of immigration Hearth The original location of a new idea, innovation, or characteristic Hierarchical diffusion A type of expansion diffusion that extends from people or places of power to people and places of lesser power Host country The country that receives immigrants Migration streams Group migrations from a place of origin to a destination Native country An immigrant's country of origin Relocation diffusion Business and cultural diffusion that occurs when people move from one location to another Reparations Payment of money or other help to a group that has been wronged Repatriation The return of a refugee or a group of refugees to their native country, usually with the help of government organization Soviet Elected government council in the former communist country of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Taliban Radical Islamic militia that seized control of Afghanistan’s government and ruled the country from 1996– to 2001 3.06 You learned that immigration to the United States took place in three waves. In each wave, push-­‐pull factors influenced the movement of people to America. Some immigrants came willingly and worked as indentured servants for years to achieve economic freedom. Most early African immigrants came to the Americas under forced immigration to provide slave labor. Freedom from persecution, land, and later job opportunities offered reasons for migrating to the United States. Attitudes toward immigration swung from openness to closure. Immigration was open to all until 1882, when the first restrictive legislation, the Chinese Exclusion Act, was passed. Nativism influenced American attitudes about immigrants from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, when a quota system capping the number of immigrants was established. It was not until the civil rights era that attitudes changed toward immigrants, and the door to immigration was opened again in 1965 with the repeal of quotas. Immigration restrictions eased during the 1990s and until the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Today, restrictions are again being considered. Immigrants' contributions to American culture are numerous and varied, and enriched the United States with new customs, traditions, and ideas. Immigrants, too, were changed by processes of acculturation and assimilation. The melting-­‐pot theory and salad-­‐bowl theory attempt to explain how a multicultural society should work. Melting pot theory The belief that different coexisting cultures assimilate into one common and homogenous culture Multicultural Relating to several ethnic or cultural groups within a society Quota A limited or fixed number as a part of a total Salad bowl theory The belief that immigrant cultures should be integrated into the whole of American culture and still maintain their defining characteristics Undocumented alien A person in a country who is not a citizen of that country and has entered the country in a way that violates immigration laws 3.07 People migrate within the United States for many of the same reasons they migrate internationally. They experience a variety of push-­‐pull factors that encourage them to move. In general, most people move for economic reasons: Either they are pushed to move because of a lack of well-­‐paying jobs in their current location, or they are pulled to a different location because of the prospect of better living conditions. Economic reasons sparked two of the largest internal migrations of the 20th century. The Great Migration of African Americans from the South was a response to the need for factory workers in the North, but also represented for the migrants the possibility of escaping the restrictive Jim Crow laws enforced in the South in the first half of the century. The Great Migration was also a part of a larger movement of people from rural to urban areas. The counter migration of people from the Rust Belt areas of the North and Midwest to the Sun Belt areas of the South and West also had strong economic motivations. In general, job prospects were better in the Sun Belt, as many businesses relocated there to capitalize on cheaper labor, government incentives, and lower energy costs. Internal migration affects both the place of origin and the new destination. Internal migration often results in not only cultural assimilation and acculturation but also in changing government policies. Ethnic enclaves often change over time because of internal migration, as the children of immigrants assimilate into the broader U.S. culture and migrate to areas not associated with particular ethnicities. Bible Belt Cultural region in the southern part of the United States that is known for the strong influence of evangelical Christian churches Breadbasket Midwestern region of the United States known for its abundance of grain products including wheat, oats, and corn Bright flight Migration of skilled and well-­‐educated population from suburban to urban areas Counter migration A migratory movement toward one’s town or country of origin Gentrification The restoration of urban areas by middle-­‐class citizens, which results in the displacement of lower class citizens living in urban areas Jim Crow Laws State and local laws in the United States between 1876 and 1965 that required racial segregation in all public places and established so-­‐called “separate but equal” facilities and opportunities for the races Rust Belt Area located in the Northeast and Midwest of the United States that experienced a manufacturing crisis during the 1970s Suburbs A residential area located on the outskirts of a city Sun Belt Area corresponding to the South and Southwest of the United States, which experienced a population growth starting in the 1970s White flight Migration of white population to the suburbs consequent to an increase of minority population in urban areas Be ready to discuss these questions during your DBA! 1. What is the gravity model of migration? According to the
gravity model of migration, how do distance and population
affect migration? Give an example of the gravity model at work.
2. Neo-Malthusians and Cornucopians have strongly different
views. Describe the theories of both groups, and identify which
one you think is more reliable. Give three reasons that support
your choice. At least one should explain why the theory you
chose is reliable, and at least one should refute the other theory.
Remember to base your arguments in evidence—do not rely on
your personal opinions to support your reasoning.
3. What are the four major population clusters? What
characteristics do these population clusters share? Explain.
4. Nigeria is a country in West Africa. What might you expect this
country’s population pyramid to look like? Explain.
5. Explain the concepts of complementarity, transferability, and
intervening opportunities and how they relate to migration.