Determinants of interstate migration in the United States, 1985-1990 : macro and micro perspectives /
Using data primarily from the Five Percent Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS) and the county-to-county migration flow files of the 1990 U.S. Census of Population and Housing, this dissertation examines both individual micro-level and state macro-level determinants of interstate migration in the Uni...
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
2003.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=765660531&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | Using data primarily from the Five Percent Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS) and the county-to-county migration flow files of the 1990 U.S. Census of Population and Housing, this dissertation examines both individual micro-level and state macro-level determinants of interstate migration in the United States during the 1985-1990 period. Over the course of the dissertation, three major research themes are developed. The first theme is the macro-level analysis of interstate migration streams within the theoretical framework of human ecology. In addition to three gravity variables (population size at origin and destination, distance between origin and destination), other major determinants of interstate migration streams include six ecological variables, four of them pertaining to characteristics of the destination and two of them pertaining to characteristics of the origin, suggesting that ecological forces tend to be more effective as "pull" mechanisms at destination than as "push" mechanisms at origin. The second theme is the micro-level analysis of interstate migration behavior within the theoretical framework of human capital. Human capital factors, such as educational attainment, nativity, and occupation, are the major determinants of the propensity of interstate migration. The third theme is the integrated micro-macro level analysis of interstate migration using the hierarchical generalized linear model (HGLM). In addition to the same important human capital factors found in the second theme, state ecological forces provide additional predictive power in interstate migration. Among the major findings in this integrative approach, the state unemployment rate, population density, climate index, and nonwhite concentration are strongly associated with the interstate migration outcomes of the individual householders, controlling for the level-1 individual variables and other level-2 state variables. Findings presented in this dissertation indicate that human ecological and human capital perspectives are appropriate for analyzing and understanding interstate migration in the United States. The results from the integrated micro-macro level analysis contribute to a better understanding of the combined impacts of individual characteristics and ecological forces upon interstate migration. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Sociology". |
| Physical Description: | x, 116 leaves ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilm Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 108-115). |