Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration By Bailey McGovern and Izah Tahir

Introduction Ravenstein’s laws of migration are a set of laws that explain how, where, and why people migrate. It was developed in the 1800’s by Ernest George Ravenstein.

Law 1 Most migrants move only a short distance o Less economic strain o Less cultural change o Easier to travel to o Not as much distance from family and friends

Law 2 Migrants typically move to major cities o More economic opportunities – better access to food and jobs o Better standards of living

Law 3 Major urban centers generally have migrants from neighboring rural areas, and more distant migrants move to those rural areas o Called absorption o Gaps are left by migrants who move from rural to urban areas o More economic advancement opportunities o Closer to markets

Law 4 When people from rural areas move to more distant areas, those from urban areas then move to fill the “gaps” in rural areas o Called dispersion o Better environmental conditions o More space o Unoccupied jobs left by migrants

Law 5 Every migration path must have an inverse path o There must be as many people moving into rural areas as moving out o Absorption and dispersion leaves “gaps” that need to be filled

Law 6 Rural people are more likely to migrate than urban people o Urban people are already settled with good jobs, homes, etc. o Rural people have a lower standard of living, so they are more likely to be seeking advancement

Law 7 Long-distance migrants typically move to larger cities o More opportunities – o Jobs o Homes o Resources o Health care o Better education

Law 8 Women are more likely to migrate short distances than men o Want to move out of less developed countries to more developed countries o Have more power, respect, and job opportunities

Law 9 People whose families have lived in an area for longer periods of time are less likely to move than those who have more recently moved to an area o Native settlers are more attached to land o Recent moving could be due to certain occupations that may require frequent movement o New settlers have less family and friends in that area

Law 10 The major cause of migration is economic o People move in search of o Jobs/higher pay o Homes o Better social environment

Law 10 Most long-distance migrants are male o Women generally have children to take care of o Males move to get jobs and support families at home

Law 11 Most long-distant migrants are adult individuals instead of families with children o More inconvenient to move entire families than a single person o More money for the individual o Families don’t want to be separated

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