Migration Note Cards

Activity Space DEF – Area in which an individual moves about as s/he pursues regular, day-to-day activities. EX - School, grocery store.

Brain Gain DEF – The immigration into a country of scientists, technologists, academics, etc., attracted by better pay, equipment, or conditions EX – Russian scientists moving to Iran after the fall of communism to help Iran develop a nuclear program. Iran experienced a brain gain.

Diaspora DEF – A spatial dispersion of a previously homogenous group. EX – The Jewish diaspora in 70 AD. The Romans forced the Jews to disperse throughout the world.

Distance Decay Function DEF – The various degenerative effects of distance on human spatial structures and interaction. EX - There are less Raider’s fans in Denver than in Los Angeles

Gravity Model DEF - A mathematical prediction of the interaction of places, the interaction being a function of population size of the respective places and the distance between them. Assumes spatial interaction (like migration) is directly related to the population and inversely related to the distance between them. EX - i. example: 19th & 20th century moves from Europe ii. example: when European immigrants moved into cities in the eastern U.S. iii. example: African-Americans from south to north during WWI (internal)

Migration Stream DEF - A constant flow of migrants from the same origin to the same destination. EX - Stream of Russian to Siberia and Central Asia is now being followed by a countercurrent BACK to European Russia.

Migration Selectivity DEF – A. Maximum number of immigrants let into a country in a year. OR B. The tendency for certain types of people to move. EX – A. Immigration quota system used by the US. B. From Ravenstein’s laws – young people are more likely to move than older people. A college student moving to Hawaii to go to UH from Parker.

Periodic Movement DEF - Movement that involves temporary relocation. EX - College attendance, or military service.

Ravenstein’s Migration Laws DEF - Describe voluntary migration patterns. EX - Laws that still prove true today are: Every migration flow generates a counterflow The majority of migrants move a short distance Migrants who move long distances tend to choose big city destinations. Urban residents are less migratory than inhabitants of rural areas. Families are less likely to make international moves than young adults.

Remittances DEF - Payment a guest worker sends home to support their family / friends. The World Bank estimates that in 2006, $260 billion in remittances were sent home, a figure that becomes larger if untraceable money is included. In many developing countries, remittances comprise a significant part of the country’s national income (up to 20%) EX – The total value of remitances from the US to Mexico in 2010 was $21.271 billion.

Step Migration DEF - Migration to a distant destination that occurs in stages. EX - From farm, to near by village and later to town and city.

Time Contract Workers DEF - immigrant recruited for a fixed period to work in mines or plantations EX - European guest workers

Transhumanance DEF - a seasonal periodic movement of pastoralists and their livestock between highland and lowland EX - Sheep or other animals may pasture in alpine meadows in the summer and be herded back down into valleys for winter pasture.

Urbanization DEF – Process by which the population of urban settlements grow. EX – Many cities in South America have urbanized as people have moved out of the countryside into cities like Rio de Janeiro.

Suburbanization DEF – Lands that were previously outside of the urban environment become urbanized, as people and businesses from the city move to these spaces. Population movement-towns/cities-to rural/urban EX – According to the 2000 US census, 50% of the entire US population resided in the suburbs, (up from 37% in 1970.)

Lee’s Model of Migration DEF – A migration model that introduces a refinement to push and pull factors. It includes intervening obstacles that are both real and perceived. Lee’s Model of Migration + + - - + + - - + +

Intervening Opportunity DEF – This phenomenon is a positive circumstance that encourages migrants to change their intended destination because they stop their migration when they encounter another place that offers favorable cultural, economic, political, or physical conditions. EX – Migrating to NYC from Los Angeles CA, but deciding to stop and live in Chicago because you get a job opportunity.