Migration And City's Development In The Transitional England

This paper is a inonographic study on one side of the history of English population migration and city抯 development in the transition period. Migration is a very old phenomenon. In traditional farming societies the population size of Migration was not very large. Migrants moved mostly from one county to another, usually from a densely梡opulated county to a sparsely梡opulated one. In the transition period between the agricultural society and the industrial society, the migration volume increased constantly with the development of industry and the spread of urbanization, and made a far梤eaching influence on social and economic development. England was the world抯 pioneer of transformation from a feudal civilization based on agriculture to a capitalist civilization based on industry and commerce, so English migration from villages to cities in this periodwas of certain typicality. This paper discussesmainly the causes, sizes and types of migration, its effects on English society and economy, as well as its relationship with urbanization. Four parts are included: Part one offers a detailed discussion and analysis on the causes of migration in this period. In view of individuals, migration or move is influenced undoubtedly by individual desire and motivation. But in view of society, it happens under the restriction of a given mode of production. Therefore migration is essentially a social and economic phenomenon. The major causes of migration in the transition period were as follow: the rapid increase in rural population brought about a large pressure to the resources of the cultivated land: the social and economic changes in rural areas released a large number of surplus labor forces; the pull was given by the economic development of urban areas; The influences resulted from the change of social system. These four factors took effect at the same time and exerted joint influences on the migration. Part two analyzes the size and characteristics of migration. On the basis of a great deal of data this part argues that there were two different types and patterns in the English migration at the earlier and later stages of this period. Before the mid seventeenth century the major cause of migration was that 搕he population impelled productivity? namely the backward productivity, pushed the outflow of rural population. In other words, it belonged mostly to the migration of subsistence. After the mid? seventeenth century the cause of migration was not, basically, that productivity in the rural areas was not fully developed, but that the development of productivity in the urban areas requested the outflow of rural population. Namely, it belonged chiefly to the migration of betterment. Meanwhile, the author estimates the size of migration, and analyzes the characteristics of the migrants?age, sex, occupation, distribution and education level. Part three argues the relationship between migration and the progress of urbanization. Taking the characteristics of the increase of urban population as the point departure, this chapter analyzes the effect of migration on the growth of cities. At the end it makes a case analysis on the example of London. Part four studies and argues the relationship between migration and social change. Population is the basic element to development. Labor forces are the essential resources 2 to the social and economic development. Uigration and urbanization are the important mechanism that combines best labor forces with other economic...