Rural Migrants in Urban Setting: An Analysis of the Literature on the Problem Consequent on the Internal Migration from Rural to Urban Areas in I2 European Countries (1945–1961)

329 Pages·1963·13.55 MB·English

by  G. Beijer (auth.)

At the meeting of the F.A.O. Working
Group on Rural Sociology held in Oslo
1960, it was suggested that an inventory
be made of aU available data and
studies on the subject of migration of
rural 'people to industrial regions and
cities In Europe.
In the General Report of the Organi
sation for European Economic Cooper
ation on "Rural Manpower and In
dustrial Development" by H. Krier,
Paris, 1961, the conclusions are only
relative. This is due not only to in
adequate documentation, and to the
fact that not enough experiences have
been systematically observed, but also to
the complex nature of the problem itself.
The mIgration of country dwellers
towards urban areas has been a most
important factor in the development
of modern Western .European society.
It is essential therefore, that those
engaged in research and policy making
in the social field acquire a better
understanding of this form of migration
if they are to deal effectively with a
number of the problems confronting
them. The more so since the European
integration which is going ahead so
rapidly will certainly produce new
patterns of migration.
At the fourth Meeting of the ad hoc
Working Party on Rural Sociological
Problems in Europe (European Com
mission on Agriculture) held in St.
Wolfgang 1962, the analysis and review
of the literature on these problems in
12 European countries from 1945
through 1961, was one of the subjects
under discussion. It was pointed out
that with the different level as well as
the different rate of growth of urbani
zation in the various European
countries adjustment problems are not
the same everywhere and present
themselves in different forms in differ
ent countries. Wllile the need for further
research in this field was recognized,
the immediate application of the
available research findings was con·
sidered to be oft he greatest importance.
In this book the author provides a
detailed guide to this broad and compli
cated subject, at the same time re
vealing a number of general trends.
A feature of the work is its bibliography
of more than 1300 titles.
MARTINUS NUHOFF - PUBLISHER THE HAGUE
Recendy published:
G. BEI]ER
RURAL MIGRANTS IN
URBAN SETTING
AN ANALYSIS OF THE LITERATURE ON THE PROBLEM
CONSEQUENT ON THE INTERNAL MIGRATION FROM RURAL TO
URBAN AREAS IN 12 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES (1945-1961)
. Publislud unatr llu Awp;U$ of
/he N,lheTfands Minislry of SocilJl Work
11M the Europellll .5<:KU!)I for Rurll[ &ciQUJIY
At the meeting of the F.A.O. Working Group on Rural Sociology
held in Oslo 1960, it was suggested that an inventory be made of all
available data and studies on the subject of migration of rural
people to industrial regions and cities in Europe.
In the General Report of the Organisation for European Economic
Cooperation on "Rural Manpower and Industrial Development" by
H. Krier, Paris, 1961, the conclusions are only relative. This is
due not only to inadequate documentation, and to the fact that
not enough experiences have been systematically observed, but also to
the complex nature of the problem itself.
The migration of country dwellers towards urban areas has been a
most important factor in the development of modern Western
European society. It is essential therefore, that those engaged
in research and policy making in the social field acquire a better
understanding of this form of migration if they are to deal effectively
with a number of the problems confronting them. The more so since
the European integration which is going ahead so rapidly will
certainly produce new patterns of migration.
At the fourth Meeting of the ad hoc Working Party on Rural
Sociological Problems in Europe (European Commission on Agri
culture) held in St. Wolfgang 1962, the analysis and review of the
literature on these problems in 12 European countries from 1945
RURAL MIGRANTS IN URBAN SETTING
G. BEIJER
RURAL MIGRANTS IN
URBAN SETTING
AN ANALYSIS OF THE LITERATURE ON THE PROBLEM
CONSEQUENT ON THE INTERNAL MIGRATION FROM RURAL TO
URBAN AREAS IN 12 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES (1945-1961)
Published under the Auspices ot
the Netherlands Ministry of Social Work
and the European Society tor Rural Sociology
THE HAGUE
MARTINUS NIJHOFF
1963
ISBN 978-94-011-8635-3 ISBN 978-94-011-9416-7 {eBookl
DOl 10.1007/978-94-011-9416-7
Copyright I963 by Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, Netherlands
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition I963
All rights reserved, including the right to translate or to
reproduce this book or parts thereof in any form
FOREWORD
The migration of country dwellers towards the urban areas has been
a most important factor in the development of the West European
society in which we live today. Therefore, those engaged in research
and policy making in the social field must acquire a better under
standing of this form of migration if they are to deal effectively with
a number of the problems confronting them. This is particularly true
since the schemes for European integration which are going ahead so
rapidly are sure to produce new patterns of migration.
At a meeting of the F.A.O. Working Group on Rural Sociology held
in Oslo in 1960, it was suggested that an inventory should be made of
all available data and studies on the subject of migration in Europe.
This suggestion was taken up by the European Society for Rural
Sociology and the Netherlands Ministry of Social Work which, after
deliberating together, decided to ask the Dutch expert, Dr. G. Beijer,
to draw up such an inventory under their joint auspices. As secretary
of the Research Group for European Migration Problems (R.E.M.P.),
Dr. Beijer has been engaged for many years in an intensive study of
the phenomenon of migration.
In the following pages Dr. Beijer gives an account of the results of
his study. He has managed with notable success to provide a detailed
guide to this broad and complicated subject and to discover a number
of general trends. The European Society for Rural Sociology and the
Ministry of Social Work believe that this digest of factual and theo
retical information constitutes a most important contribution to our
better understanding of the phenomenon of migration within Europe.
They are confident that it will be of great value to all those who are
active in this field.
PROF.DR.E.W.HOFSTEE
President of the European Society
for Rural Sociology
DR. G. HENDRIKS
Head of the Research and Community
Development Department of the
Ministry of Social Work
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword, by E. w. HOFSTEE AND G. HENDRIKS V
Introduction I
A. Commission 3
B. Further restriction and modification of the original commission 4
C. Final form of the assignment and its implementation 7
D. Procedure followed 9
E. Bibliography 10
Part I/ADJUSTMENT AND INTERNAL MIGRATION. AN ANALYSIS OF
THE LITERATURE OF GENERAL IMPORTANCE II
A. Some introductory remarks 13
1. Adjustment 13
2. Adjustment of the countryman 14
3. The countryman's drift to the city and industry 15
B. Adjustment to the city by internal migrants from the country 17
1. The process of urbanization and technical progress in
general change the country and at the same time promote
internal migration 17
2. The process of adjustment of countrypeople and its
obstacles 19
3. The extent of rural-urban migration 23
4- More surveys wanted; a few comments 25
(a) Some examples of surveys at national level 26
(b) Rural exodus and agricultural exodus 27
5. Internal migration and social provisions 28
6. The relation between selection and adjustment 32
C. Summary and conclusions of Part I 33
1. Summary 33
2. Conclusions 34
D. Bibliography 36
(a) Bibliography of the studies mentioned in the text 36
(b) Supplementary bibliography 43
VIII TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part II/THE ALPINE COUNTRIES 49
AUSTRIA 51
1. Introduction. A number of general statistical and demo
graphic data concerning the population trend, the change
in the economic and occupational structure, and urbanization 51
2. The extent of rural-urban migration 54
3. The change in the structure and mentality in the country-
side conducive to migration from the countryside 54
4. What occupations do the migrants from the countryside
choose? 55
5. The migrants in the towns and industry 56
6. Sociological and socio-psychological publications on the
adjustment of countrypeople in the towns 57
7· Summarizing conclusions 57
8. Bibliography 58
(a) Bibliography of the studies mentioned in the text 58
(b) Supplementary bibliography 62
SWITZERLAND 64
1. Introduction. A number of general remarks concerning the
economic and demographic development - urbanization and
industrialization 64
2. From which districts and regions do the countrypeople
migrate, and what is the size of internal migration? 67
3. The motives for migration, the ages and the sex of the mi-
grants - in what places and occupation do they end up? 68
4. Internal migration is occupational and social mobility 71
5. Adjustment of countrypeople in industrial and urban
centres 71
6. Bibliography 75
(a) Bibliography of the studies mentioned in the text 75
(b) Supplementary bibliography 82
Part III/THE SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES AND FINLAND 83
Introductory remarks 85
Bibliography 90
(a) Bibliography of the studies mentioned in the text 90
(b) Supplementary bibliography 91
TABLE OF CONTENTS IX
DENMARK 92
I. Some general demographic data 92
2. Urbanization 93
3. Internal rural-urban migration 94
4. Are the labour reserves exhausted? 96
5. The problem of quantity and quality of agricultural in-
ternal migrants 97
6. Internal migration is occupational and social mobility 97
7. Adjustment problems of countrypeople in the towns 98
8. Bibliography 100
(a) Bibliography of the studies mentioned in the text 100
(b) Supplementary bibliography 101
NORWAY 103
I. The shortage of labour in industry, some general demo-
graphic data 103
2. Internal migration 104
3. Something abou t the extent of internal migration of country-
people 105
4- Urbanization 107
5. Commuting and occasional work for part-time farmers in a
local and regional framework, temporary internal migration 108
6. Immobility in some regions 108
7. Housing and other habits as a check to internal migration 109
8. Stopovers on the way to the towns IIO
9. Greater extent of internal migration by better communica-
tions IIO
10. The direction of internal migration. Do the cities in fact
exert the greatest pull? IIO
II. Internal migration is economically and socially desirable,
it is occupational and social mobility III
12. The process of adjustment III
13. Psychological and socio-psychological investigations on the
theme "adjustment of countrypeople" II2
14. Bibliography II4
(a) Bibliography of the studies mentioned in the text II4
(b) Supplementary bibliography II6
SWEDEN II8
I. Some remarks concerning the economic, social and demo-
graphic situation, by way of introduction II8
x TABLE OF CONTENTS
2. The significance of internal migration and the shifts in the
occupational and population structure - urbanization/in-
dustrialization 120
3. The extent of rural-urban migration - the traditionally
great mobility - the problem of the necessary efflux of
countrypeople 121
4. Other factors which activate the internal migration of
countrypeople 123
5. Some important studies of internal migration 124
6. Influence of modern transport 125
7. Summary of the above - reasons for departure - sociological
and socio-psychological surveys of the adjustment of
countrypeople 126
(a) Summary (sections 1--6) 126
(b) Reasons for departure 127
(c) Adjustment in the towns 128
8. Bibliography 132
(a) Bibliography of the studies mentioned in the text 132
(b) Supplementary bibliography 138
FINLAND 141
1. Some demographic and generally important aspects 141
2. U~wbati~ 1~
3. The employment situation 143
4. Internal migration - social family policy - prospects 143
5. The direction and the extent of internal migration 144
6. The motives for rural-urban migration - schooling - ages
and composition of internal migrants by sex 145
7. Adjustment in the towns 146
8. Bibliography 149
(a) Bibliography of the studies mentioned in the text 149
(b) Supplementary bibliography 151
Part IV jTHE BENELUX 153
BELGIUM ISS
1. Some demographic data concerning mobility, the urbaniza-
tion process, the volume of the land-city migration ISS
2. Immobility in some districts 156
3. Greater mobility through improved means of transport 157
4- More notice taken of internal migration 157