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Essay on Migration

Introduction

Since historical times, communities and individuals have always moved from one geographic location to another in search for better living conditions. Migration is usually influenced by various factors that may have a push or pull effect on the individuals or communities that are affected by the same. Also, these movements always have diverse implications on the individual lives, social wellbeing or on the environmental conditions of the area affected by the migration. This is based on various factors and the implications might be either positive or negative. It is in this respect that this paper provides an explicit analysis of the factors that led to the migration of my family from the rural areas to the urban area in this country. Information provided herein is based on extensive interviews with two older relatives. It is believed that the paper would provide useful insights regarding the factors that contribute to the movement of people from rural to urban areas in the United States.

According to the information provided by my grandmother, they used to stay in the rural areas of this country when they were still young. Life in the countryside was very different from the one in urban areas. Specifically, they had limited social services and social amenities and as such, their quality of life was relatively low. My grandmother indicated that the transportation network was not efficient and important public services were not available especially during certain hours of the day like at night. In addition, accessibility to vital social services such as medical care was undermined by lack of sufficient health personnel to provide the services accordingly. Comparatively, these services were available in the city at al times and at cheaper rates. Social services and amenities were abundant in the cities and therefore made my grandparents to migrate from the rural area.

However, my grandfather feels that he decided to migrate to the urban area because of the need to pursue his higher education in a reputable institution of higher learning. In this regard, he indicates that the rural areas did not have credible institutions of higher learning that offered good courses in the field of medicine. Comparatively, higher institutions in urban areas were well equipped with sufficient and vital facilities to pursue higher education in learning. Furthermore, he indicated that unlike the institutions found in rural areas, those located in urban regions exposed an individual to a diverse cultural background through interactions with people from different social, economic and cultural backgrounds. This enabled an individual to be able to cope with various cultural challenges that were presented on the job market. Most importantly, he contends that these institutions provided one with an opportunity to establish credible networks through organized internships with credible medical bodies. Notably, this made it possible for him to secure employment in one of the leading medical research institutions in this nation.

The migration o f my grandparents was undertaken in a timely manner and had positive implications not only on their lives but also on the lives of my parents. They were able to access educational and other social services that were important for enhancement of their quality of lives. Access to this gave my grandparents as well as their off springs a chance to pursue professional careers that greatly boosted their economic wellbeing. Accessibility to vital health services ensured that they often maintained good health and perhaps this can be used to explain why they still look strong even at the age of seventy years.

If they could not have moved, it is certain that our lives would be different in various ways. To begin with, it would have been unlikely for us to secure education opportunities in reputable learning institutions. In this respect, Fielding indicate that comparatively, public schools in rural areas have a lower performance than the private schools in urban areas (87). Living in urban areas gave us a chance to attend urban private schools and therefore secured quality education. Furthermore, they would possibly be weaker with regard to health due to the limited healthcare in rural areas. Nevertheless, if they would have remained in the rural areas, they would not be suffering from terminal diseases that are caused by long term exposure to urban pollution and relative stress.

Conclusion

From the analysis, it is certain that migration is a social phenomenon that dates back to historical times. My grandparents moved from their rural areas to urban regions in search for vital social services that were not available in the rural settings. In particular, they wanted to have access to medical services, social amenities and good education. This had diverse effects on their wellbeing as the urban environment exposed them to various opportunities on completion of their higher education of learning. At this juncture, it can be concluded that this form of migration yielded positive effects to the affected individuals.

Work Cited

Jane, Fielding. Understanding Population Movements. USA: Sage