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

+
Stress
 Lee
Push Pull
• Not enough jobs • Job opportunities
• Few opportunities
• Better living conditions
• Primitive conditions
• Desertification • Political and/or religious freedom
• Famine or drought • Enjoyment
• Political fear or persecution
• Education
• Poor medical care
• Loss of wealth • Better medical care
• Natural disasters • Attractive climates
• Death threats • Security
• Lack of political or religious freedom
• Pollution
• Family links
• Poor housing • Industry
• Landlord/tenant issues • Better chances of marrying
• Bullying
• Discrimination
• Poor 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 push-
pull 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)?