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Multilingual Demographic Dictionary, second unified edition, English volume

Pull factor

Multilingual Demographic Dictionary, second unified edition, English vol.
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Pull factor  (PULL factor)


Migration models 1 fall in two broad categories. The first relates migration streams (803-9) between two areas to social, economic or demographic variables. These variables are often classified as push factors 2 when they characterize repulsion 2 from the area of origin, as pull factors 3 resulting in attraction 3 to the area of destination, and as intervening obstacles 4 between the two areas. The simplest of these models are gravity models 5: the streams between the two areas are directly proportional to the size of their population, and inversely proportional to the distance 6 between them, raised to a certain power. Other models consider that the streams are proportional to the opportunities in the area of destination, and inversely proportional to intervening opportunities 7 between origin and destination. Models in the second broad category are stochastic models (730-5) and refer to individuals rather than to populations; they link the probability of migrating to a certain number of personal characteristics such as age or the previous history of migration.

  • 5. Or Pareto-type models.
  • 6. Distance can be measured in diverse ways: a straight line, the route, the number of intervening areas, etc.

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