Push and pull factors in migration explained

Push and pull factors in migration according to Everett S. Lee (1917-2007) are categories that demographers use to analyze human migration from former areas to new host locations. Lee's model divides factors causing migrations into two groups of factors: push and pull. Push factors are things that are unfavourable about the home area that one lives in, and pull factors are things that attract one to another host area.^{[1] [2]}

Factors

Push

• Not enough jobs or opportunities
• Famine or drought
• Political fear of persecution
• Poor medical care
• Loss of wealth
• Natural disasters
• Death threats
• Desire for more political or religious freedom
• Pollution
• Poor housing
• Bullying
• Discrimination
• Poor chances of marrying
• Contamination
• War
• Sickness

Pull

• Job opportunities
• Higher Benefits
• Better living conditions
• Having more political or religious freedom
• Enjoyment
• Education
• Better medical care
• Attractive climates
• Security
• Family links
• Better chances of marrying

Criticism

Sociology professor Hein de Haas has criticized the push-pull model for its inability to explain real world migration patterns.^[3]

See also

• Human migration
• Return migration
• Urbanization

Notes

1. 2060063 . A Theory of Migration . Demography . Everett S. . Lee . 1966 . 3 . 1 . 47–57 . 10.2307/2060063 . 46976641 . free.
2. Guido Dorigo, and Waldo Tobler, "Push-pull migration laws." Annals of the Association of American Geographers 73.1 (1983): 1-17 online
3. de Haas . Hein . 2021-02-24 . A theory of migration: the aspirations-capabilities framework . Comparative Migration Studies . en . 9 . 1 . 8 . 10.1186/s40878-020-00210-4 . free . 2214-594X . 7902564 . 33680858.

Further reading

• Azunre, Gideon Abagna, Richard Azerigyik, and Pearl Puwurayire. "Deciphering the drivers of informal urbanization by Ghana's urban poor through the lens of the push-pull theory." InPlaning Forum Vol. 18. (2021). online
• Dorigo, Guido, and Waldo Tobler. "Push-pull migration laws." Annals of the Association of American Geographers 73.1 (1983): 1-17 online
• Hoffmann, Ellen M., et al. "Is the push-pull paradigm useful to explain rural-urban migration? A case study in Uttarakhand, India." PloS one 14.4 (2019): e0214511. online
• Khalid, Bilal, and Mariusz Urbański. "Approaches to understanding migration: a mult-country analysis of the push and pull migration trend." Economics & Sociology 14.4 (2021): 242–267. DOI:10.14254/2071-789X.2021/14-4/14
• 2060063 . A Theory of Migration . Demography . Everett S. . Lee . 1966 . 3 . 1 . 47–57 . 10.2307/2060063 . 46976641 . free.
• Yaro, Joseph A. "Development as push and pull factor in migration." Migration & Entwicklung (2008): 16+ online.