Loustau-Williams, Frances
(2016)
The Relationship Between Migration and Development in Morocco.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
The relationship between migration and development can be volatile. While movement can lead to a more appropriate allocation of human resources within an economy, an unstable population distribution can lead to toxic concentrations of people. This is a potential risk factor as many people respond to the changes inherent to societal transformation through movement. As such, excess movement can disrupt the population distribution of a country. More comprehensive models of migration in developing countries are necessary in order to understand how rural populations are affected by development. The following study explores the relationship between migration and development in Morocco, with a particular focus on movement in the interior and predominantly rural areas.
The analysis observes movement to small population centers in the rural areas. This observed phenomenon is henceforth referred to as “rural urbanization.” A mixed methods, multi-level analysis was conducted. An initial geographically weighted regression was performed using macro-level data as to identify the variation unexplained by pre-existing models. The statistical analysis was followed up by a case study of an example of rural urbanization in a town called Guigou, located in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco. A survey was conducted in order to identify the reasons people migrated to Guigou and from where they migrated. Finally, qualitative interviews with representatives of the various migrant types in Guigou were conducted.
The analysis observes an emergent economy in a small town in the Middle Atlas Mountains that evolved over several decades, beginning with farmers travelling short distances to take advantage of job opportunities in the agricultural sector and improved social services. The data indicate that as the economy grew and diversified, more and more people were drawn to Guigou, engaging in a variety of non-agricultural jobs. Over time the migrants came from increasingly diverse backgrounds. These origins included a large proportion of people coming from the large cities. It is concluded that migration occurs incrementally based on relative positioning in economy, leading to heterogeneous outcomes. It is asserted that migration mirrors economic patterns and should thus be treated as a complex phenomenon.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
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| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
27 June 2016 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
14 April 2016 |
| Approval Date: |
27 June 2016 |
| Submission Date: |
6 May 2016 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
201 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Graduate School of Public and International Affairs > Public and International Affairs |
| Degree: |
PhD - Doctor of Philosophy |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Migration, Development, Rural Development, Agrarian Transformation, Societal Transformation |
| Date Deposited: |
27 Jun 2016 15:02 |
| Last Modified: |
15 Nov 2016 14:33 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/27954 |
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