IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envira/v9y1977i5p529-548.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Place Attributes in a Migration Decision Context

Author

Listed:
  • Susan O Gustavus

    (Department of Sociology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221, USA)

  • L A Brown

    (Department of Geography, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA)

Abstract

The research reported in this paper used four different survey methods to elucidate the importance of thirteen place attributes in the decision to migrate to Columbus, Ohio; (1) a Likert-type assessment of the general importance of each attribute; (2) a paired-comparison technique for ascertaining attribute trade-off possibilities; (3) measures of saliency and satisfaction with each attribute in the former place of residence, in the town that was the second choice for migration, and in Columbus, the migration destination; and (4) open-ended self-reports of reasons for moving. Use of these varying methodological approaches allows observations both on research strategies for migration studies and on substantive findings concerning place attributes. Relative to the latter, a two-step process is proposed. The first stage of the migration process is identifying a set of alternative destinations in comparison with the former place of residence. Although all thirteen attributes are important in the abstract, housing, jobs, schools, and health care facilities are particularly critical should trade-offs be necessary. Nearness to home and shopping would be traded off most readily, as would ‘city lights’ amenities, which are generally regarded as important in migration literature. In the second stage, a destination is chosen. Attributes appear to function primarily as threshold conditions in this process. Thus, Columbus and the second choice were both perceived as dramatically different from the former place of residence, but were nearly identical to one another. In this context personal contacts in a potential migration destination are apparently crucial in confirming for the migrant that perceptions of attributes are correct and in easing assimilation and adjustment problems.

Suggested Citation

  • Susan O Gustavus & L A Brown, 1977. "Place Attributes in a Migration Decision Context," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 9(5), pages 529-548, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:9:y:1977:i:5:p:529-548
    DOI: 10.1068/a090529
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1068/a090529
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1068/a090529?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael Greenwood & Patrick Gormely, 1971. "A comparison of the determinants of white and nonwhite interstate migration," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 8(1), pages 141-155, February.
    2. John B. Lansing & James N. Morgan, 1967. "The Effect of Geographical Mobility on Income," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 2(4), pages 449-460.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Leland S. Burns & Kathy van Ness, 1981. "The Decline of the Metropolitan Economy," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 18(2), pages 169-180, June.
    2. A M Isserman, 1985. "Economic—Demographic Modeling with Endogenously Determined Birth and Migration Rates: Theory and Prospects," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 17(1), pages 25-45, January.
    3. Malgorzata Switek, 2016. "Internal Migration and Life Satisfaction: Well-Being Paths of Young Adult Migrants," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 125(1), pages 191-241, January.
    4. Fitzpatrick, Maria D. & Jones, Damon, 2016. "Post-baccalaureate migration and merit-based scholarships," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 155-172.
    5. Gevrek, Deniz, 2010. "Migration and Loving," IZA Discussion Papers 5061, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Uzi Rebhun & Adi Raveh, 2006. "The Spatial Distribution of Quality of Life in the United States and Interstate Migration, 1965–1970 and 1985–1990," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 78(1), pages 137-178, August.
    7. Alessandra Faggian & Philip McCann & Stephen Sheppard, 2006. "An analysis of ethnic differences in UK graduate migration behaviour," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 40(2), pages 461-471, June.
    8. repec:elg:eechap:14395_22 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Jeroen Smits, 2001. "Career Migration, Self-selection and the Earnings of Married Men and Women in the Netherlands, 1981-93," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 38(3), pages 541-562, March.
    10. James Morgan & Ismail Sirageldin, 1970. "Two measures of geographic location and their relation to income," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 7(2), pages 169-173, May.
    11. T J Fik & R G Amey & G F Mulligan, 1992. "Labor Migration Amongst Hierarchically Competing and Intervening Origins and Destinations," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 24(9), pages 1271-1290, September.
    12. Michael Greenwood & Douglas Sweetland, 1972. "The determinants of migration between standard metropolitan statistical areas," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 9(4), pages 665-681, November.
    13. Maria Abreu & Alessandra Faggian & Philip McCann, 2011. "Migration and inter-industry mobility of UK graduates: Effect on earnings and career satisfaction," ERSA conference papers ersa11p118, European Regional Science Association.
    14. N Carmon, 1994. "Achieving Population Dispersal through Tailor-Made Community Planning: An Israeli Experiment in the Galilee Region," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 26(4), pages 639-656, April.
    15. I Gordon, 1982. "The Analysis of Motivation-Specific Migration Streams," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 14(1), pages 5-20, January.
    16. M Cadwallader, 1985. "Structural-Equation Models of Migration: An Example from the Upper Midwest USA," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 17(1), pages 101-113, January.
    17. Paul C. Langley, 1977. "Inter‐regional Migration and Economic Opportunity, Australia, 1966‐71," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 53(1), pages 51-69, March.
    18. Randall Filer, 1992. "The Effect of Immigrant Arrivals on Migratory Patterns of Native Workers," NBER Chapters, in: Immigration and the Work Force: Economic Consequences for the United States and Source Areas, pages 245-270, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Di Cintio, Marco & Grassi, Emanuele, 2010. "Internal Migration and Wage Differentials among Italian University Graduates," MPRA Paper 26707, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Frank Kirwan, 1982. "Labour Exporting in the Middle East: The Jordanian Experience," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 13(1), pages 63-89, January.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:9:y:1977:i:5:p:529-548. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.