K. C. Zachariah

Bombay migration study: A pilot analysis of migration to an Asian metropolis

ResumenEsie trabajo es un reporte de un estudio piloto de migración al Gran Bombay iniciado por recomendación de la Comisión de Población de las Naciones Unidas y utilizando las tablas publicadas del censo de India de 1961 y un grupo de tablas preparadas especialmente y basadae en el mismo censo. Los migrantes fueron definidos por lugares de nacimiento y empleando una tabulación cruzada por edades y tiempo de residencia en Bombay.Los datos (1901–60) sobre migración neta (obtenidos de sucesivas distribuciones por sexo y edad) fueron analizados en términos de tendencias sobresalientes para dar una perspectiva histórica al análisis de datos recientes y hacienda especial énfasis sobre los cambiosen la estructura industrial y ocupacional.Para la década 1951–61, se demostró la extensión de la emigración de antiguos inmigrantes, su selección por sexo y edad y su alta incidencia entre recientes migrantes. Como es verdad en todas partes, la migración hacia Bombay demostró ser altamente selectiva para las edades de máxima actividad economica. Las corrientes de migración hacia Bombay fueron preponderantemente masculinas y entre los hombres, predominó el segmento de casados. La propensión a migrar fue desusualmente alta entre los grupos religiosos minoritarios. En cuanto al nivel de educación, los migrantes fueron superiores a la población general de origen, pero inferiores a los no migrantes residiendo en Bombay. Las tasas de participación de los migrantes en el trabajofueron mayores para cada uno de los grupo de edades que los de los residentes nó migrantes; la proporción de empleados fue mayor y hubo evidencia de concentración de emigrantes en indusiriae y ocupaciones requiriendo menos especialización, menos educación y menos capital, de lo que fué encontrado entre los no migrantes. Hubo significativas tendencies hacia “dioisión del trabajo” entre varias corrientes migratorias sobre las bases de especialización y habilidades adquiridas no sólo por educacion formal sinó a travéz de la tradición y el precepto. Desde el aspecto de promotión de cambio social, el mayor volumen (y selectividad) de los emigrantes que regresan es especialmente notable.Este trabajo conclusje con una evaluación metodológica de la funcionalidad y validez de los datos de duración de residencia, e indica que las relativamente simples técnicas de enumeración y tabulación uiilizadae en este estudio piloto, pueden tener amplia aplicabilidad en otros países en desarrollo.SummaryThis paper reports on a pilot study of migration to Greater Bombay, initiated on the recommendation of the Population Commission of United Nations, and utilizes both published tables from the 1961 Census of India and a set of specially prepared tables from the same census. Migrants were defined by birthplace and cross-classified by age and duration of residence in Bombay.Data (1901–61) on net migration (obtained from successive age-sex distributions) are analyzed in terms of underlying trends to give historical perspective to the analysis of recent data with special emphasis on changes in industrial and occupotiona structure.For the 1951–61 decade, the extensiveness of out-migration of former in-migrants, its age-sex selectivity, and its high incidence among recent migrants are demonstrated. As is true elsewhere, migration to Bombay is shown to be highly selective for ages of maximum economic activity. Migration streams to Bombay were preponderantly male, and, among males, the married segment predominated. The propensity to migrate was unusually high among minority religious groups. As to educational level, migrants were superior to the general population at origin but inferior to nonmigrants residing in Bombay. The work participation rates of migrants were higher for every age group than for resident nonmigrants; the proportion of employees was higher; and there was evidence of migrant concentration in industries and occupations requiring less skill, less education, and less capital than was true of nonmigrants. There were significant tendencies toward “division of labor” among various migration streams on the basis of skills and abilities acquired not only by formal education but also through tradition and precept. From the standpoint of the promotion of social change, the large volume (and selectivity) of reverse or return migration is especially note-worthy.The paper concludes with a methodological evaluation of the reliability and validity of duration-of-residence data and indicates that the relatively simple techniques of enumeration and tabulation utilized in this pilot study may have wide applicability in other developing countries.

Kerala's demographic transition : determinants and consequences

Papers from this collective work were presented at a session on the demographic transition held at the International Congress on Kerala Studies held in Trivandrum India in August 1994. The 16 papers are organized into four main sections dealing with the demographic transition the determinants of demographic change the consequences of demographic change and migration. The papers included are as follows: Keralas demographic transition: an overview by K. C. Zachariah and S. Irudaya Rajan; Demographic transition since independence by P. N. Mari Bhat and S. Irudaya Rajan; Demographic transition: a response to official policies and programmes by K. C. Zachariah; Onset of mortality and fertility transition: new evidence from parish records by S. Irudaya Rajan P. N. Mari Bhat and Tim Dyson; Fertility mortality and contraceptive prevalence: evidence from the National Family Health Survey by P. S. Nair; Can poverty determine fertility? Agricultural labourers and their fertility decisions by K. S. James; Determinants and correlates of age at marriage by K. Krishnakumari and G. K. Moli; Education and Fertility: Is there any Link? by D. Radha Devi; Life table analysis of the labour force by S. Sulaja and N. B. Sureshkumar; Dynamics of age at maternity by U. S. Mishra and S. Irudaya Rajan; Low birth weight and need for nutritional care for pregnant women by R. S. Kurup; Population ageing: causes and consequences by S. Irudaya Rajan and U.S. Mishra; Inter-regional comparison of demographic conditions; by P. Mohanachandran Nair; Peasant migration from Travancore to Malabar by K. V. Joseph; Economic consequences of Gulf migration by T. M. Tomas Isaac; Social consequences of international migration: case studies of women left behind by Leela Gulati.

A Note on the Census Survival Ratio Method of Estimating Net Migration

Abstract In the census survival ratio method, one of the common assumptions is that the proportion which the enumerated population in any age-sex group bears to the actual population is the same at each census for each state as for the nation. The significance of this assumption is examined and it is established that such an assumption is not necessary. It is therefore replaced by a less stringent assumption, namely that the ratio of the degree of enumeration in a state (i.e. the proportion which the enumerated population in any age-sex group bears to the true population) to that of the nation is the same for the same cohort. In the light of the change in assumption, it is shown that much of the criticism of the method made by Daniel O. Price is untenable. Though his main conclusion (i.e. small relative differences in estimates of net migration should be interpreted with extreme caution) is correct, the errors in migration rates estimated by the census survival ratio method are probably much smaller than ...

The Maharashtrian and Gujarati Migrants in Greater Bombay

Among the factors which determine the economic and social structure of a migrant group, its cultural heritage before migration, and the social and economic environment to which it migrates are the chief ones. The two principal migration streams in Greater Bombay —the Maharashtrians and the Gujaratis—have been exposed to somewhat similar environmental factors in the city. The cultural heritage which the two groups acquired at the areas of origins has many things in common. Geographically, the areas from where the two communities originate are contiguous, and until very recently were under the same civil administration. The two groups speak different languages but there are many among them who can understand both the languages. In addition, they have been exposed to a somewhat similar educational system over a long period of time. One should therefore expect a high degree of similarity between the economic, social, and demographic characteristics of these two migrant groups in Bombay. But the facts seem to be otherwise. Among the various migration streams in Bombay, the Maharashtrians and the Gujaratis show extreme contrasts in their characteristics; in several of their social and economic characteristics, the Maharashtrian migrants in the city are more different from the Gujaratis than from any other migrant community in the city. What are the differences and similarities between the characteristics of these two groups of migrants? How did these differences and similarities come into being? How are they maintained? This paper is concerned with these questions. It describes the demographic, social and economic characteristics of the Maharashtrian and the Gujarati migrants in Greater Bombay, and attempts to explain the factors that might have contributed to their differences and similarities.