Fulfilled and Unfulfilled Promises of Everett Lee: Toward a Critique of Migration Theories

Fulfilled and Unfulfilled Promises of Everett Lee:
Toward a Critique of Migration Theories


Lisitsyn P.P.

Сand. Sci. (Sociol.), Associate Prof. of Comparative Sociology Chair, St. Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia. fox_sociology@mail.ru

Stepanov A.M.

Сand. Sci. (Sociol.), Associate Prof. of Social Analysis and Mathematical Methods in Sociology Chair, St. Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia. 916001@inbox.ru

Orlova N.A.

Senior Lecturer, St. Petersburg State University of Economics, St. Petersburg, Russia nat.and.orlova@gmail.com

ID of the Article:

Rubric: Demography. Migration

For citation:

Lisitsyn P.P., Stepanov A.M., Orlova N.A. Fulfilled and Unfulfilled Promises of Everett Lee: Toward a Critique of Migration Theories. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2023. No 10. P. 41-51


 Full Text.


Abstract

This article is devoted to the analysis of E. Lee’s migration theory (Lee, 1966). E. Lee’s publication characterizing his theory of migration is one of the most cited works in the history of migration studies. Having been subjected to critical analysis more than once, its key theses are known not only to experts in the field of migration and economics, but also to a wide range of readers, who associate it with the terms “attraction and push” (push and pull). The analysis carried out in this article differs in that the focus of research attention is not so much on the main theses of his theory, as on their relationship with the ideas that preceded, as well as with the trends of the time when this work was written. The authors carried out a brief analysis of the works of E. Lee’s predecessors, determining the degree of their influence on the main provisions of his theory, and also highlighted novelty of his work for the development of subsequent migration studies.


Keywords
migration; migration theory; critic; push and pull; factors of attraction and expulsion; E. Lee; migration studies

References

Лисицын П.П., Орлова Н.А., Степанов А.М. Миграционное поведение: принцип снижения трудозатрат Дж. Зипфа // Социологический журнал. № 28 (3). 2022. С. 72–90. [Lisitsyn P.P., Orlova N.A., Stepanov A.M. (2022) Migration behavior: the principle of reducing labor costs by J. Zipf. Sociologicheskii zhurnal [Sociological journal]. No. 28 (3): 72–90. (In Russ.)]

Лисицын П.П., Степанов А.М. Новые законы миграции Э. Равенштайна // Социологические исследования. 2022. № 8. C. 16–26. [Lisitsyn P.P., Stepanov A.M. (2022) E. Ravenstein’s New Migration Laws. Sotsiologicheskie issledovanya [Sociological Studies]. No. 8: 16–26. (In Russ.)]

Рыбаковский Л.Л. История и теория миграции населения. Кн. 2: Миграция населения: явление, понятие, детерминанты. М.: ЭконИнформ, 2017. [Rybakovsky L.L. (2017) History and theory of population migration. Book 2: Population migration: phenomenon, concept, determinants. Moscow: EkonInform. (In Russ.)]

Ткаченко А.А. Терминология в области миграции: проблемы международной сопоставимости // Социально-трудовые исследования. 2020. № 4 (41). C. 68–79. [Tkachenko A.A. (2020) Terminology in the field of migration: problems of international comparability. Social’no-trudovye issledovaniya [Social and labor research]. No. 4 (41): 68–79. (In Russ.)]

van Alstyne M., Brynjolfsson E. (2005) Global village or cyber-balkans? Modeling and measuring the integration of electronic communities. Management Science. Vol. 51 (6): 851–868.

Anderson J.E. (2011) The gravity model. Annual Review of Economics. Vol. 3: 133–160.

Anthony D.W. (1990) Migration in Archeology: The Baby and the Bathwater. American Anthropologist. Vol. 92 (4): 895–914.

Arango J. (2010) Explaining migration: a critical view. International Social Science Journal. Vol. 52 (165): 283–296.

Banerjee A., Duflo E. (2019) Good Economics for Hard Times. New York: PublicAffairs.

Black R., Adger W.N., Geddes A., Thomas D. (2011) The effect of environmental change on human migration. Global Environmental Change. Vol. 21(1): 3–11.

Bogue D.J., Hagood M. (1953) Subregional Migration in the United States 1955–1940. Scripps Foundation Studies in Population Distribution. Vol. 6: 124–127.

Chang H., Dong X.Y., MacPhail F. (2011) Labor migration and time use patterns of the left-behind children and elderly in rural China. World Development. Vol. 39 (12): 2199–2210.

Chun Y. (2008) Modeling network autocorrelation within migration flows by eigenvector spatial filtering. Journal of Geographical Systems. Vol. 10 (4): 317–344.

Faist T. (2013) Transnationalism. In: Routledge International Handbook of Migration Studies. Eds S.J. Gold, S.J. Nawin. New York: Routledge: 449–459.

Fechner G.T. (1860) Elemente der Psychophysik. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel.

Glick Schiller N., Basch L., Szanton B.Ch. (1992) Transnationalism: a new analytic framework for understanding migration. In: Glick Schiller N., Basch L., Szanton B.Ch. (ed.) Towards a Transnational Perspective on Migration: Race, Class, Ethnicity, and Nationalism Reconsidered. New York: New York Academy of Sciences: 1–2.

Glossary on Migration. (2019) Geneva: International Organization for Migration.

Gong P., Liang S., Carlton E. et al. (2012) Urbanisation and health in China. Lancet. Vol. 379: 843–852.

Harris J.R., Todaro M.P. (1970). Migration, Unemployment and Development: A Two-Sector Analysis. The American Economic Review. 60 (1): 126–142.

Harvir S., Shirley B., Taylor F. (2005) Migrating to new service providers: Toward a unifying framework of consumers switching behaviors. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Vol. 33. P. 96–115.

van Hear N. (1994) Migration, displacement, and social integration. In: Occasional Paper: World Summit for Social Development. Geneva: UNRISD.

van Hinte J. (1928) Nederlanders in Amerika. Groningen.

Hofstee E.W. (1952) Some remarks on selective migration. In: Publications of the research group for European migration problems. VII. Netherlands: The Hague Martinus Nijhoff.

International migration report (2017). New York: United Nations.

Jerome H. (1926) Migration and Business Cycles. New York: National Bureau of Economic Research Inc.

Kashnitsky I., Gunko M. (2016) Spatial variation of in-migration to Moscow: Testing the effect of housing market. Cities. Vol. 59. P. 30–39.

King R. (2002) Towards a New Map of European Migration. International journal of population Geography. Vol. 8: 89–106.

Kivisto P. (2002) Multiculturalism in the global society. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Kivisto P. (2012) We really are all multiculturalists now. The sociological Quarterly. Vol. 53: 1–24.

Lee E.A. (1966) Theory of Migration. Demography. Vol. 3 (1): 47–57.

Lee С. (2009) Sociological Theories of Immigration: Pathways to Integration for U.S. Immigrants. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. Vol. 19 (6): 730–744.

Lewis A. (1954) Economic Development with Unlimited Supplies of Labour. Manchester: The Manchester School.

Lewis A. (1954) Thoughts on land settlement. Journal of Agricultural Economics. Vol. 11 (1): 3–11.

Lewis A. (1956) The Theory of Economic Growth (edit. 2003). London: Routledge.

Litwak E., Longino C.F. (1987) Migration patterns among the elderly: A developmental perspective. Gerontologist. Vol. 27 (3): 266–272.

Lively C.E. (1940) Research Memorandum on Migration Differentials: A Report of the Committee on Migration Differentials. Thomas D.S., Heberle R., Hutchinson E.P., Isbell E.C., Meyer F., Riemer S. Journal of Political Economy. Vol. 48: 300.

Massey D., Akresh I. (2006) Immigrant intentions and mobility in a Global Economy: the attitudes and behavior of recently arrived U.S. immigrants. Social science quarterly. Vol. 87: 954–971.

Massey D., Goldring L., Durand J. (1994) Continuities in transnational migration: an analysis of nineteen Mexican Communities. American journal of sociology. Vol. 99 (6): 1492–1533.

Massey D.S., Arango J., Hugo G. et al. (1993) Theories of International Migration: A Review and Appraisal. Population and Development Review. Vol. 19 (3): 431–466.

Park R., Burgess E., McKenzie R. (1925) The city: suggestions for the investigation of human nature in the urban environment. Chicago.

Portes A., Böröcz J. (1989) Contemporary immigration: theoretical perspectives on its determinants and modes of incorporation. International migration review. Vol. 3 (23): 606–630.

Pryor R.J. (1981) Integrating international and internal migration theories. In: Kritz M.M., Keely C.B., Tomasi S.M. (ed.) Global Trends in Migration: Theory and Research on International Population Movements. New York: Center for Migration Studies.

Ravenstein E.G. (1876) The Birthplaces of the People and the Laws of Migration with seven maps. Geographical Magazine.

Ravenstein E.G. (1889) The Laws of Migration. In: Journal of the Statistical Society of London. Vol. 52 (2): 241–305.

Ravenstein E.G. (1885) The Laws of Migration. Journal of the Statistical Society of London. Vol. 48 (2): 167–235.

Sassen S. (2007) Sociology of globalization. Colombia University.

Smith S. (1974) US neocolonialism in Africa. New York: International publisher.

Speare A. (1974) Residential satisfaction as an intervening variable in residential mobility. Demography. Vol. 11 (2): 173–184.

Stark O., Bloom D. (1985) The New Economics of Labor Migration. The American Economic Review. Vol. 75 (2): 173–178.

Steinmetz S.R. (1930) Der erbliche Rassen und Volkscharacter. Gesammelte kleinere Schriften. Vol. 2: 284–285.

Stouffer S.A. (1940) Intervening Opportunities: A Theory Relating Mobility and Distance. American Sociological Review. Vol. 5 (6): 845–867.

Thomas D.S. (1938) Research Memorandum on Migration Differentials. Social Science Research Council Bulletin. 43. New York.

Thomas W.I., Znaniecki F.W. (1996) The Polish peasant in Europe and America: monograph of an immigrant group. University of Illinois Press.

Vance R.B. (1952) Is Theory for Demographers? Social Forces. XSXI: 9–13.

Wallerstein I. (2011) The Modern World-System IV: Centrist Liberalism Triumphant, 1789–1914. University of California Press.

Wassink J., Massey D. (2022) The New System of Mexican Migration: The Role of Entry Mode – Specific Human and Social Capital. Demography. Vol. 59 (3): 1071–1092.

Williams A.M., Balaz V. (2012) Migration, risk and uncertainty: theoretical perspectives. Population, Space and Place. Vol. 18 (2): 167–180.

Wirth L. (1925) Cultural conflicts in the immigrant family, unpublished master’s thesis, University of Chicago.

Yurchak A. (2006) Everything was forever until it was no more. The last Soviet Generation. Princeton university press.

Zelinsky W. (1971) The Hypothesis of the Mobility Transition. Geographical Review. Vol. 61 (2): 219–249.

Zipf G.K. (1949) Human behavior and the principle of last effort. An introduction to human ecology. Cambrridge, Mass.: Addison-Wesle Press.

Zipf K.G. (1946) Some determinants of the circulation of information. In: Am J Psychol. Vol. 59: 401–421.

Content No 10, 2023