Ratnoo, Himmat Singh;
(1994)
Socio-economic status, channels of recruitment and the rural to urban migration of labour: A case study of the squatter settlements of Delhi, India.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
This thesis considers the role of relative deprivation in the rural areas of origin and the mechanisms of information, advice and job search in the process of rural to urban migration of labour. There is less dependence of rural population on agriculture than usually thought and hence it is difficult to attribute rural out-migration to lack of agricultural land. The results show that small and semi-medium landholders were about twice as much likely to migrate as marginal landholders, the lowest category of landholders. Overall, people of average or near average circumstances were found to have migrated more than the poorest. Connectivity to urban areas through contact with earlier migrants, exchange of information and advice regarding jobs and pre-migration visits played a decisive role in the formation of job expectations and the decision to migrate. Migrants came for the jobs they knew could be found and searched them without much wait. Though relative deprivation predisposes people to look for better opportunities, the decision to migrate can be better explained by demand for labour in urban areas communicated through the 'channels of recruitment'. The study found evidence of family strategies for diversification of sources of income and risk aversion. The process of migration is much more structured than the prevalent models recognise. Since the decisions to migrate are governed by demand for labour, government efforts to resist migration and urbanisation have been costly and unsuccessful. In the process of structural transformation, the governments of developing countries can help the urban transition of the societies by facilitating the moves that the migrants decide to make and helping the cities work.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Socio-economic status, channels of recruitment and the rural to urban migration of labour: A case study of the squatter settlements of Delhi, India |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Thesis digitised by ProQuest. |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10105181 |
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