Theories Of Migration
Models
• Ravenstein’s Laws Of Migration
• Newton’s Gravity Model
• Zelinsky’s Model Of Mobility Transition
• Clark’s Model Of Migration Decision
• Lee’s Intervening Obstacles Model
• Stouffer’s Law Of Intervening Opportunities
9 theories of migration were discussed...
Ravenstein’s Laws Of Migration
• Every migration flow generates a return or countermigration.
• The majority of migrants move a short distance.
• Migrants who move longer distances tend to choose big-city
destinations
• Urban residents are often less migratory than inhabitants of
rural areas.
• Families are less likely to make international moves than
young adults.
Other Influences Include:
• Migration stage by stage
• Migration and Technology
• Economic condition
Ravenstein
• Most migrants travel short distances and their
numbers decrease as distance increases
Newton
• "Any two bodies attract one another with a force that
is proportional to the product of their masses and
inversely proportional to the square of the distance
between them.“
• When used geographically, the words 'bodies' and
'masses' are replaced by 'locations' and 'importance'
respectively, where importance can be measured in
terms of population numbers, gross domestic product,
or another appropriate variables.
• The gravity model of migration is therefore based upon
the idea that as the importance of one or both of the
location increases, there will also be an increase in
movement between them. The farther apart the two
locations are, however, the movement between them
will be less.
Zelinsky
Pre industrialized economies
• Economies that have not yet developed are made up of rural countries
and subsistence farmers. There will only be Rural – Urban migration
between the settlements, if at all, as there are few urban areas.
Industrializing countries
• As countries start to industrialize (UK in the 18th & 19th century) there
is increased migration from the countryside to the cities where there
were better wages and an increase in the standards of living.
Post industrial economies
• Advanced countries that rely on tertiary industry more than secondary
industry show an increase in Urban – Rural migration. Technological
and transport movement improvements mean that people do not have
to live close to where they work. Inter-urbanization occurs as people
move to the suburbs
Clark
Internal Vs External Forces
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Stress
Lee
Push
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Not enough jobs
Few opportunities
Primitive conditions
Desertification
Famine or drought
Political fear or persecution
Poor medical care
Loss of wealth
Natural disasters
Death threats
Lack of political or religious freedom
Pollution
Poor housing
Landlord/tenant issues
Bullying
Discrimination
Poor chances of marrying
Pull
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Job opportunities
Better living conditions
Political and/or religious freedom
Enjoyment
Education
Better medical care
Attractive climates
Security
Family links
Industry
Better chances of marrying
• Lee’s Theory of Migration
• The decision of groups or
households to move is an
important factor
• Migration is not just
‘outside forces and
pull/push factors but a deep
conscious decision that
individuals make
Intervening Obstacles
• Lee pointed out that the migration process is
selective because differentials such as age, gender,
and social class affect how persons respond to pushpull factors
• These conditions also shape their ability to overcome
intervening obstacles.
• Furthermore, personal factors such as a person's
education, knowledge of a potential receiver
population, family ties, and the like can facilitate or
retard migration
Stouffer
• The number of persons going a given distance is
directly proportional to the number of opportunities at
that distance and inversely proportional to the number
of intervening opportunities.“
• Stouffer theorises that the amount of migration over a
given distance is directly proportional to the number of
opportunities at the place of destination, and inversely
proportional to the number of opportunities between
the place of departure and the place of destination.
• These intervening opportunities may persuade a
migrant to settle in a place in the route rather than
proceeding to the originally planned destination.
Stouffer argued that the volume of migration had less
to do with distance and population totals than with the
opportunities in each location
Using The Models Of Migration W/S...
1. See if you can add any more Advantages/
Disadvantages of each theory.
2. Which theory would you choose to best
represent you if you were in a decision to
migrate (give reasons).
3. Which theory do you feel has most problems
(why)?