Contemporary World

Where do people go?

Understanding the heart of
migration
Recap
• Globalization: Environment and Energy
▫ Our present situation
▫ Effects on biodiversity, environment and society
▫ What is energy?
▫ OPEC and its history
▫ Independence and Security
▫ Possible solutions
Agenda
• Understanding Migration
▫ What is Migration?
 What does research say about it?
▫ Migration in the context of globalization
▫ Motives as reason for migration
▫ Perspectives and theories the explains why
people migrate
Migration
What is Migration?
What does research say about it?
Much research on migration examines movements
across national boundaries (international
migration) as a different and separate process from
movements within countries (internal migration).

Researchers shifted their focus from movements from

one country to another into a study of the continued
links that are formed and maintained among those
who leave an stay at home.

▫ It has been revealed that interprovincial lifetime

mobility of the national population increased from
15.8% in 1960 to 17.6% in 1970, while interregional
mobility increased from 12.7% to 13.4%.

▫ The main destination for long-distance movers is

Calabarzon, which absorbs 27.7% of them, followed by
Metro Manila (19.7%) and Central Luzon (13%)
(Philippines Statistics Authority 2012) (Link of the
study is here)
Migration in the context of globalization
Globalization made migration as
a reality in different corners of
the globe.

The internet allows the search

for jobs abroad easier and the
list of available flights to and
from different parts of the
world has increased, making
the transfer from one continent
to another faster.
Migration as a worldwide phenomenon
The number of international migrants worldwide has
continued to grow rapidly in recent years, reaching
258 million in 2017, up from 220 million in
2010 and 173 million in 2000.

Over 60% of all international migrants live in

Asia (80 million) or Europe (78 million).
Northern America hosted the third largest number of
international migrants (58 million), followed by Africa
(25 million), Latin America and Caribbean (10
million) and Oceana (8million).

In 2017 of the 258 million international

migrants worldwide, 106 million were born in
Asia. Europe was the region of birth of the second
largest number of migrants(61 million), followed by
Latin America and the Caribbean (38 million) and
Africa (36 million)
Migration as a worldwide phenomenon
Women comprise slightly less than half of all
international migrants.

In 2017, the median age of international

migrants worldwide was 39years.

High-income countries host almost two thirds

of all international migrants.
▫ As of 2017, 64% of all international migrants
worldwide – equal to 165 million international
migrants – lived in high-income countries.
▫ Thirty-six percent or 92 million – of the world’s
migrants lived in middle –or low income
countries.
▫ Of these, 81 million resided in middle-income
countries and 11 million in low income countries.
Motives for Migration
The massive flow across the planet of people of various
nationalities happens for several reasons. These include
leisure travel, religious pilgrimage, events in
the family, business, or studies but one major
reason is migration.

Emigration refers to the departure from one’s locality,

while immigration means entry and stay in one’s
final destination.

The motives for leaving the place where one was born or
grew up ranges from economic, environmental,
cultural and political.

The choice of destination depends on available options,

one’s capacity, and goals. In cases where options are
numerous, migrants look for places that provide basic
services, safety, economic opportunities, and
social support.
Perspective and Theories that explains as
to why we migrate
1. Lee’s Migration Model
2. Neoclassic Theory
3. Segmented Labor Markets
4. New Economic Theory
5. Cumulative Causation Theory
Perspective and Theories that explains as
to why we migrate
Lee’s Migration Model
• American sociologist Everette Lee proposed this theory in 1966.
According to him, intervening obstacles may prevent
migration from taking place or may reduce the numbers moving.
Religious views, political issues, family ties,
bureaucracy, job opportunity, and travel cost and time
are considered intervening obstacles of migration.

Neoclassic Theory
• Migration flows are an outcome of regional wage inequalities.
Migration only stops when wage inequality is identical to
migration costs. Thus, whether wage disparities grow between
any two regions, individual propensities to migrate will intensify.
Perspective and Theories that explains as
to why we migrate
Segmented Labor Markets
• There are two kinds of labor sector: primary and secondary.
▫ Primary sectors refer to skilled, secure, high paying jobs and has
returns to human,
▫ while secondary sectors refer to unskilled, insecure, low paying
jobs and no returns to human.
▫ If there is shortage of labor in the primary sector, government create
policies that tend to create barriers against migration of skilled labor.

New Economic Theory

• Migration is not just a response to wage inequalities but to
insecurity created by lack of credit, insurance and capital
markets (imperfect markets).
• Thus, if remittances penetrate the origin (home region) and modernize
its economy, migration flows are reduced.
Perspective and Theories that explains as
to why we migrate
Cumulative Causation Theory
• Migration flows tend to last indefinitely and
reproduce themselves because they create new
conditions that favour it, regardless of what the
original causes were.
• Migration flows have strong impact on local
income and income distributions that may
promote more migration but also increase capital
expenditures and dry up the supply of unskilled
labor and heightens pressure on real wages.
Summary
• Understanding Migration
▫ What is Migration?
 What does research say about it?
▫ Migration in the context of globalization
▫ Motives as reason for migration
▫ Lens and theories the explains why people
migrate
Questions and Inquiry
What to expect next
• Role and impact of globalization in the context
of Economy, Politics and Culture
Thank you!