Why Do People Migrate? [AP Human Geography Review Unit 2 Topic 10]

Summary

In this Mr. Sin Channel video, the concept of human migration is explored, focusing on the push and pull factors that influence people to move. Economic, political, societal, and environmental factors are discussed, highlighting how they can either attract or deter individuals from certain areas. The video also explains the terms emigration and immigration, and touches on the impact of intervening obstacles and opportunities on migration. Viewers are encouraged to consider the factors influencing their own living choices.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Human migration is the permanent change of residence by an individual or group.
• 📈 Economic push factors include high unemployment, high taxes, and fewer job opportunities.
• 🏦 Economic pull factors are lower taxes, more job opportunities, and a variety of goods and services.
• 🏛️ Political push factors involve corruption, lack of freedoms, harsh policies, instability, and discrimination.
• 🗽 Political pull factors are places that protect individual rights, offer political freedom, and maintain stability.
• 👥 Societal push factors are discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, race, or religion.
• 🏥 Societal pull factors include religious freedom, acceptance, quality education, and healthcare services.
• 🌱 Environmental push factors are lack of arable land, water scarcity, and high risk of natural or human-made disasters.
• 🏞️ Environmental pull factors are areas with arable land, clean water, and preferred climates.
• 🚫 Intervening obstacles are negative situations or events that prevent migrants from reaching their destination.
• 🚀 Intervening opportunities are positive situations or events that divert migrants from their intended destination.
• 🌐 Emigration is leaving a place, while immigration is moving into a new place.

Q & A

What is migration?

Migration is the permanent change of residence by an individual or group, often involving movement to another city, region, or country.

What are push factors in migration?

Push factors are negative situations, conditions, events, and factors that make people want to leave a geographic area, such as high unemployment, high taxes, less job opportunities, political corruption, lack of individual freedoms, and poor societal conditions.

What are pull factors in migration?

Pull factors are positive situations, conditions, events, and factors that make people want to move to a geographic area, such as lower taxes, more job opportunities, a larger variety of goods and services, political freedom, and better societal conditions.

Why is economics often the number one reason for migration?

Economics is often the number one reason for migration because areas with high unemployment, high taxes, and less job opportunities push people out, while areas with lower taxes, more job opportunities, and a larger variety of goods and services pull people in.

How do political factors influence migration?

Political factors influence migration as areas with more political corruption, lack of individual freedoms, harsh government policies, lack of stability, or discrimination push people out, whereas places that protect individual rights, give political freedom, and keep society stable pull people in.

What societal factors can act as push factors in migration?

Societal factors that can act as push factors include discrimination against different ethnicities, genders, sexual orientation, races, or religions, as well as a lack of healthcare services, poor educational systems, or lack of public services.

What environmental factors can cause people to migrate?

Environmental factors such as lack of arable land, water scarcity, higher chances of natural disasters or human-made disasters like chemical spills or pollution from factories can push people out of an area.

What is the difference between emigration and immigration?

Emigration is when a person is leaving a place, and immigration is when a person is moving into a place. For example, if someone moves from the United States to Australia, they would be emigrating from the U.S. and immigrating to Australia.

What are intervening obstacles in migration?

Intervening obstacles are negative situations or events that hinder migration and prevent migrants from reaching their final destination, such as running out of money or being denied entry due to immigration policy.

What are intervening opportunities in migration?

Intervening opportunities are positive situations or events that hinder migration and prevent migrants from reaching their final destination, such as finding a job offer in an area one is passing through and deciding to take it.

How can personal preferences influence push and pull factors?

Personal preferences can influence push and pull factors as what may be appealing to one person (like a place that snows more often for a snowboarder) may be a push factor for another (like a surfer who prefers a warm beach).