The Age of Migration: International Population Movements in the Modern World.” Chs. 1, 2, 4, and 6.
Ch.1: Introduction
- Since 9/11, population movements have been viewed with much more scrutiny
- Very difficult to tell how many international migrants there are in the world
- A report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) indicated that the number of migrants doubled between 1965 and 2000, from 75 million to 150 million
- Over 2% of the world’s population has lived outside its national borders for at least 12 months
- Most likely there has been a remarkable upsurge in illegal migration in recent decades, but again, it’s difficult to tell
Certain general tendencies of world migration in recent years include. . .
- The globalization of migration; i.e. the tendency for more and more countries to be affected by migration
- The acceleration of migration in all major regions of the world
- The differentiation of types of migration (labor, refugees, family reunification, etc.) within the same country at the same time
- The feminization of migration; i.e. women migrating not only for family reunion, but also as labor migrants (major example: Filipino women to Middle East)
- The growing politicization of migration
Ch. 2: The migratory process and the formation of ethnic minorities
3 main theories of why people migrate
1. Economic (push-pull) theories suggest that certain factors compel people to leave one area while certain pull factors attract them to another
- Push factors include demographic growth, low living standards, lack of economic opportunities, and political repression
- Pull factors include demand for labor, availability of land, economic opportunities, and political freedom
- Economic theories have been criticized as too individualistic; empirical studies cast doubt on hypothesis that individuals migrate to maximize economic utility
2. Historical-structural theories suggest that rich capitalist countries exploit poorer countries by recruiting their cheap, foreign labor
3. Migration-systems theory takes an interdisciplinary approach and suggests that migration is the result of macro-level structures (such as a history of colonization or trade between 2 countries) interacting with micro-level structures (such as individual desire for economic gain, informal networks of friends and community members, etc.)
Emergence of discourse on transnationalism
- Globalization and improvements in technology have led to immigrants becoming attached to both new home and country of origin
- In light of transnationalism, migrants will likely maintain closer ties to countries of origin in the future
Discourse on the formation of ethnic minorities
- Minorities are created by their subordinate position in society and a sense of collective consciousness
Ch. 4: Migration to developed countries since 1945
3 major migratory flows 1945-1970
1. Migration of workers from the European periphery to Western Europe, often through “guestworker systems”
- For instance, France and West Germany recruited temporary foreign workers
2. Migration of colonial workers to former colonial powers
- For example, Irish in GB and N. Africans in France
3. Permanent migration to North America and Australia, at first from Europe and later from Asia and Latin America
- Often migration flows began with temporary recruitment (ex: Bracero system of recruiting Mexicans to do agrarian labor in California and Texas) but migrants settled permanently
- One common feature of migratory movements 1945-1970 is the predominance of economic motivations
Since 1970 many shifts have occurred in migratory trends, including. . .
- Transition of many Southern and Central European countries from places of emigration to places of immigration
- In Italy, foreign workers increased from 300,000 to 1.4 million 1981-2001
- Recruitment of foreign labor by oil-rich countries
- Increasing international mobility of highly qualified personnel
- Proliferation of illegal migration and legalization policies
- Attempts in the US to limit migration (primarily from Mexico) have included measures such as high fences, video surveillance and border patrol, and denying welfare benefits to illegals
Replacement migration in Western Europe is a big issue at the turn of the century
- UN population report in 2000 suggests that extremely high levels of immigration would be needed to achieve replacement levels in most countries
Ch. 6: Next waves: The globalization of international migration
- Objective of chapter is to describe current trends in international migration to, from, and within the Arab, African, and Latin American regions
Arab region
- Morocco and Turkey have largest population of expatriates living in the EU
- Many Arab workers from poorer regions flock to the oil industry in Libya, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE
- Gulf War transformed Iraq from region to immigration to one of emigration
- Some, but much smaller, migration of Arabs to non-oil producing states
Africa
- Africa has the world’s most mobile population
- Migration often a way to escape poverty/starvation
- Many zones have freedom of movement policies, but depending on political environment migration may or may not be tolerated
Latin America and the Caribbean
- 4 areas of migrants:
Southern cone w/ Europeans,
Andean with Indians and mestizos,
Latin America with Indians and mestizos, a
nd Caribbean with Africans
- Seasonal labor migration very common
- Poor economies in the 1980s ->immigration to the US, Canada, and Europe | 
