Book Description

The thesis of this study is that the forms of population migration change systematically over periods of time and from area to area. Using data from several parts of the world, the author shows how population mobility is linked to wider social, economic and political change, and that it is closely related to such processes as the rise of nationalism. He draws comparisons between the historical experience of Europe and patterns in today's developing world. The book is divided into three parts. Part I examines the problem of the measurement of population movements and reviews studies of mobility based mainly on the historical record. This part is concerned with the patterns of mobility in pre-industrial and early industrializing societies as a basis of comparison with more recent patterns. The specific focus is on mobility and the peasantry in order to examine critically the notion that peasants either are or were mobile. Part II contains detailed descriptions of migration in a number of countries, particularly Peru and Papua New Guinea. The author looks back on earlier work and attempts to review earlier conclusions in the light of recent research and data. Part III deals with certain changes that occur in the way they do. The central theme is the penetration of a European-dominated system and the two-way relationships between the factors giving rise to particular patterns of mobility and the effect that these patterns of mobility have on society and the economy. A separate chapter examines the ability of governments or other institutions to guide the changes in particular directions through migration policy.