BirdsofPassage

BirdsofPassagepresentsanunorthodoxanalysisofmigrationiontourbanindustrialsocietiesfromunderdevelopedrualareas.Itarguesthatsuchmigrationsareacontinuingfeatureofindustrialsocietiesandthattheyaregeneratedbyforcesinherentinthenatureofindustrialeconomies.Itexplainswhyconventionaleconomictheoryfindssuchmigrationssodifficulttocomprehend,andchallengesasetofolderassumptionsthatsupportedtheviewthatthesemigrationswerebeneficialtobothsendingandreceivingsocieties.ProfessorPioreseriouslyquestionswhethermigrationactuallyrelievespopulationpressureandruralunemployment,andwhetheritdevelopsskillsnecessaryfortheemergenceofanindustriallabourforceinthehomecountry.Furthermore,hecriticizesthenotionthatinthelongrunmigrantlabourcomplementsnativelabour.Onthebasisofthiscritique,hedevelopsanalternativetheoryofthenatureofthemigrationprocess.