Chapter 3 WEEs

Intervening opportunities v. Intervening obstacles

An Intervening opportunity is the presence of a nearer opportunity that greatly diminishes the attractiveness of sites farther away. While intervening obstacles are anything that will hinder the movement of people.

Ravenstein's Laws of Migration

1) Net Migration amounts to only a fraction of the gross migration between 2 places 2) The majority of migrants move short distances 3) Migrants who move longer distances tend to choose big city destinations 4) Urban residents are less migratory than people in rural areas 5) Families are less likely to make international moves than young adults These are all based on observations of migratory patterns and the overarching philosophy of distance decay.

Other Migration Theories/Patterns/

Besides the Push-Pull theory, numerous other theories have been proposed. A major theory is the idea of the Gravity Model. The gravity model states the interaction is proportional to the multiplication of the two populations divided by the distance between them (distance decay). Distance decay says that people are more likely to stay close to home rather than go far. Step migration is migration to a distant destination that occurs in stages, for example, from farm to a nearby village and later to town or city. Lastly, chain migration is a pattern of migration that develops when migrants move along the through kinship links i.e. one migrant settles in a place and then writes, calls, or communicates through others to describe this place to family and friends who in turn then migrate there.

3 Waves of U.S. Immigrants

Early 1800s immigrants were from Western Europe, especially Britain. These were people coming to the new country with prospects of success. The late 1800s to 1920s migration was mainly Eastern European people either fleeing WWI or of polish, german or other descent. The current migration is the Asian and Latino immigration which has become a major political topic.

Forced Migration

Forced migration is when people are forced to move from one location to another. The most prevalent example was the African Slave Trade. Modern examples include human trafficking where many children are forced to become sex workers and other horrific crimes. Also, indentured servitude, or slavery-light, is another example that was more common in the past.

Politics of immigration

Immigration is a highly, highly, political topic. A guest worker is a person with temporary permission to work in another country. Selective immigration is a process to control immigration in which individuals with certain backgrounds are bared from immigrating. Immigration laws are often strict and protectionist. United States has strict laws but the enforcement is weaker than most countries.

Internally displaced persons

Internally displaced persons, or IDPs, are among the world's most vulnerable people. Unlike refugees, IDPs have not crossed an international border to find sanctuary but have remained inside their home countries. Even if they have fled for similar reasons as refugees (armed conflict, generalized violence, human rights violations), IDPs legally remain under the protection of their own government - even though that government might be the cause of their flight. As citizens, they retain all of their rights and protection under both human rights and international humanitarian law.

Refugees

Refugees are the people republicans hate. But, in all seriousness, a refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster. Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation. Asylum is the protection granted by a nation to someone who has left their native country as a political refugee. Refugee camps house refugees until it is safe to return. Repatriation is is the process of returning a person to their place of origin or citizenship.

Migration

Simply put, migration is the movement of people. When people move across country borders, it is international migration. This would be like a Mexican coming to America. The difference between immigration and emigration is that immigrants are coming into a country while emigrants are leaving a country. When people move within a country or location, it is considered internal migration. Example of internal migration are the Great Migration, when millions of blacks from the south moved north, and retirees going to Florida.

Migration Transition Model

Stage 1: High Birth, high death. Rural countries. Not a lot of migration. People stay put. Transhumance (herding animals and moving place to place) Stage 2: High birth rate, lowering death rates. Urban areas grow from rural-urban migration. HIGH migration. Safety valve opens. Outmigration, not immigration. Stage 3: Birth and death rates decline. Still outmigration but slowing down. Still rural-urban migration. Stage 4: Becomes an in-migration country. Urban-suburban migration. Stage 5: INTERnational migration. In-migration. People from other countries.

Periods of Internal Migration in U.S.

The Great Migration was when millions of former slaves moved north to Chicago, Detroit, and especially Harlem NYC. Also, the Rural to Urban migration occurred in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Then it shifted the other way. Urban to Suburban migration occurred after WW2 and continues now.

Push/Pull Theory

The ideas behind push and pull factors are simple: push factors make people leave while pull factors bring people in. These can be a pull for some and a push for others. Taxes could be an economic push factor for people in the U.S. Political factors could be people in a liberal state wanting to go to another liberal state. Environmental push factors can be draught and other issues.

Types of Movement

While migration in general is the movement of people, there are many different types of movement. Cyclic movement is a repeated cycle of temporary displacement, like commuting to work, or herding animals. Periodic movement is extended periods away, like college or military service. Transhumance is a seasonal periodic movement of pastorarists and their livestock between highland and lowland. Nomadism is moving randomly in a defined area.