The Prism of Migration
Dissimilarities Between Return and Onward Movers
Published 1986
This study first appeared in Social Science Quarterly, v. 67, no. 3, September 1986. It explores the premise that particular sequences of migration select particular types of persons, whose decisions to move are colored by a spectrum of motives, personal capabilities, and information sources. It uses longitudinal microdata to demonstrate that migrants who venture out and promptly return are distinctively different from other migrants. They are comparatively less educated and less skilled, recently unemployed, and less inclined to plan ahead or avoid taking risks. These findings broaden a traditional demographic perspective on migration by emphasizing the diversity of purposes that may operate, depending on where a particular move falls in a sequence of migration.
Topics
Document Details
- Copyright: RAND Corporation
- Availability: Web Only
- Year: 1986
- Pages: 13
- Document Number: N-2553-NICHD
Citation
RAND Style Manual
Morrison, Peter A. and Julie DaVanzo, The Prism of Migration: Dissimilarities Between Return and Onward Movers, RAND Corporation, N-2553-NICHD, 1986. As of August 26, 2026: https://www.rand.org/pubs/notes/N2553.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Morrison, Peter A. and Julie DaVanzo, The Prism of Migration: Dissimilarities Between Return and Onward Movers. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1986. https://www.rand.org/pubs/notes/N2553.html.
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