Chapter 49: The Sociology of Migration

ZAI LIANG

The sociology of migration Migration is an old story. For thousands of years, people have migrated to search for food, survive, conquer frontiers, colonize new territories, escape from war zones or political turmoil, and look for new and more rewarding and exciting opportunities. Originating from Africa, the modern Homo sapiens arrived in Eurasia at least 40,000 years ago and in North and South America more than 20,000 years ago (Davis 1974; Diamond 1997; Hirschman 2005). In a broad sense, the history of the world is a history of human migration and settlement. As a country of immigrants, the United States is perhaps the best example in this regard. Sociologists have long been interested in theorizing about different types of societies—from Ferdinand Tönnies's dichotomy of “community” and “society” to Émile Durkheim's “mechanic solidarity” and “organic solidarity.” The former, being the more traditional society, is characterized by more intimate relations among The ...

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