Noneconomic Determinants of Nonmigration: Sociological Considerations for Migration Theory.

To further understanding of migration determinants, I examine the experiences of three groupings in the U.S.: Negro movement from the South during 1860 to 1920; Japanese-American migration from internment camps during World War II; and exodus from Southern Appalachia between 1930 and 1960. Each of these three cases illustrates both the importance of noneconomic variables in determining migration and the worth to noting nonmigration to understand the migration process. I suggest using a framework which examines motivation for and constraints upon migration for individuals as a starting point in developing migration theory. When migration is viewed within a social structure, dependence upon the local community and potential for assimilation elsewhere appear as critical determinants of whether motivation for migration becomes actual movement. Based upon the three cases studied in this paper, as well as many other studies, I encourage future migration research to avoid an overemphasis upon economic factors and to reject the argument that no generalization is possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]