[The population situation in the Arequipa region]

"The author presents an informative synthesis of...recent data about the Arequipa region [of Peru. The study]...highlights rapid demographic growth (3.1%), explained by high rates of fertility and migration. There is also data about age structure, fertility and mortality. The region shows a high degree of urbanization (75%) and a great dispersion of the rural population." (SUMMARY IN ENG)

[Migration mobility and movement of the population]

"The functions of migration are reviewed from the viewpoint of the demographic situation in the USSR (by regions, sex, age, education, profession, labour and social activity, nationality, rural-urban, etc.). Some effects of migration on fertility are shown. The authors investigate the role of the economic functions of migration for the process of professional mobility. The territorial mobility of the population is analysed on a wider scale as a part of the social mobility in the socialist society. In connection with this, some problems of the migration policy as an element of the demographic policy of the USSR are outlined." (summary in ENG, RUS)

[Regional differences and problems of population development in Croatia, 1948-1991]

The authors analyze changes in population size and density in Croatia from 1948 to 1991. "Since the end of World War II the population growth rate has been in a permanent decline in Croatia due to occasional intense emigration, but also due to decrease in the number of newborn and increased number of deaths (ageing of the population in spite of higher living standards). This has been happening all over Croatia, which displays great differences in population density.... Polarization is significant also in migration of the population in urban and rural settlement...." (SUMMARY IN ENG)

The economic and demographic restructuring of nonmetropolitan counties in the Mountain West

"The purpose of this paper is to examine the fluctuating economic and demographic landscapes within nonmetro Mountain West counties [of the United States], describe relationships between the economic restructuring and shifting demographic patterns, and to discuss the potential significance of these transformations for the Mountain West nonmetro region. We begin by articulating a conceptual framework linking economic restructuring (development) and population change due to migration. The remainder of the paper empirically examines these linkages. A concluding section summarizes our findings and provides suggestions for future research."

Recent population trends in nonmetropolitan cities and villages: from the turnaround, through reversal, to the rebound

"The purpose of this study is to track and contrast the patterns of local concentration and deconcentration in nonmetropolitan America between 1950 and 1996. We consider the growth of places by initial size as well as the growth of population living in the countryside or in unincorporated hamlets.... To determine how widespread and consistent the trends are, we compare patterns of growth by nearness to metropolitan areas, and by region of the country. We also examine differences among a subset of nonmetropolitan places distinguished by the primary socioeconomic character of their county. Using a detailed data file from the 1990 census, we are able to give some consideration to commuting."

Rural homes and urban dwellings? Gender, migration and the importance of tenure in Gaborone, Botswana

"The issue of return migration has been widely debated in African migration literature in view of strong rural-urban ties and urban growth based largely on in-migration. On the basis of fieldwork in Botswana, it is argued that there are important gender differences in terms of the commitment to rural and urban areas. It has been postulated in past studies that the decision to remain in towns depends in part upon urban tenure and it is argued that home owners are more likely than tenants to be permanent urban dwellers. Again, there are important gender differences and women appear to be more committed to the urban dwelling than men."

In search of counterurbanisation: some evidence from Devon on the relationship between patterns of migration and motivation

"The term counterurbanisation is frequently used to describe the redistribution of a population away from major cities and metropolitan areas and towards more rural areas. The widespread nature of this phenomenon has attracted much attention, yet the concept remains relatively under-developed, and even the basic definition lacks rigour. It is not surprising, therefore, that there has been a lack of cumulative evidence as to the extent of the process and little agreement as to its significance. In essence, ambiguity surrounds the types of movement that should be admitted, the necessary motives for movement and the appropriate measures for both. This paper offers some preliminary suggestions for a more structured approach to the problem. It draws on original survey data from Devon [England], a county which has experienced substantial net in-migration, both to examine the contribution of three alternative definitions of counterurbanisation and to consider how these issues relate to motivation."

[Rural communes and small towns in the urban hierarchy]

"A determining factor in the demographic and employment dynamics of rural communes and certain small towns [in France] is how far they are from the nearest large town. Demographic dynamics and employment trends are somewhat adverse for those living far from urban influences. The main reasons for this would appear to be the slump in agriculture. This said, demographic and employment trends are much improved nearer the large towns, especially since the towns exerting the influence have more inhabitants." (SUMMARY IN ENG AND GER AND SPA)

Utilization of maternal health-care services in Peru: the role of women's education

This article explores the hypothesis that formal education of women influences the use of maternal health-care services in Peru, net of the mother's childhood place of residence, household socioeconomic status and access to health-care services. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis; both cross-sectional and fixed-effects logit models yield quantitatively important and statistically reliable estimates of the positive effect of maternal schooling on the use of prenatal care and delivery assistance. In addition, large differentials were found in the utilization of maternal health-care services by place of residence, suggesting that much greater efforts on the part of the government are required if modern maternal health-care services are to reach women in rural areas.

Regional policy for rural settlements in Bulgaria

Government policies concerning rural settlement and rural-urban migration in Bulgaria since 1944 are evaluated and described. The author observes that during this period, "Bulgaria...has undergone rapid urbanization.... The marked destructive processes in the rural settlement network since 1944, mainly due to the ageing of the rural population and its migration to the cities, have necessitated the implementation of an active regional policy in rural regions. A 'policy of key settlements' and 'a policy of key regions' were developed in recent years [to encourage rural development]."

[Population development in rural areas of the United States in the 1980s: turnaround of trends or continuity?]

"The article analyses the population growth in rural counties of the U.S.A. for 1970-80 and 1980-86. The growth rates are examined on different levels of aggregation (individual counties, subregions and regions) and in relation to several possible determinants of growth. The main objective of the study is to examine whether the growth patterns in the eighties support the hypothesis of a turnaround in the population development of rural areas.... The results reveal a diversity of growth patterns and significant regional differences. Rural counties within the daily urban system of a metropolitan area have significantly higher growth rates than peripheral rural counties. The results do not support the notion of a turnaround of long established trends. The trends in the eighties bear more resemblance to traditional growth patterns of rural areas." (SUMMARY IN ENG)

Unravelling the population turnaround in rural Canada

"This paper attempts to unravel the rural population turnaround in Canada through a disaggregation and analysis of rural growth rates by (1) two decades, 1961-71 and 1971-81, (2) the farm and non-farm components of rural population, (3) provincially based regions, and (4) area types based on proximity to urban centres. Following a discussion of the various definitional and boundary-matching issues arising from the use of the Census of Canada, results are presented in tabular and map form. Although rural growth rates did in all likelihood exceed urban rates in the 1970s, the extent of this turnaround is undoubtedly exaggerated in the census data, primarily because of definitional and reclassification effects. Moreover, setting aside data-related anomalies, there is strong evidence that much of this rural population growth was in fact 'spillover' from urban centres." (SUMMARY IN FRE)

Development of the settlement system in the Lithuanian SSR: results, problems, and prospects

"The authors analyze the factors, results, problems, and prospects of the development of a system of settlement in the Lithuanian SSR, a laboratory of sorts for settlement policy in the Soviet Union. Particular attention is devoted to the formation of an inter-rayon settlement system integrating urban and rural settlements. Several methodological and conceptual approaches to the study of settlement systems are examined in this context."

Ways of improving settlement in West Siberia

"[This] paper devoted to the settlement system and the problem of rural population loss in that portion of West Siberia having a significant agricultural base takes issue with some implicit assumptions incorporated within the General Scheme of Settlement within the USSR. More specifically, policies calling for the deliberate, i.e., forced, resettlement of rural population in selected villages in order to provide economies of scale in rural services provision are criticized on two major counts: (1) that such 'enlarged' settlements will still be too small to be allocated the necessary range of functions according to standard city-planning formulae, and (2) that they accelerate rural depopulation by serving as spring-boards for migration to still larger centers."

Determination of settlement patterns in rapidly growing rural areas

The primary factors affecting settlement patterns in rural areas of the United States are examined using factor analysis of survey responses from 1,156 households in Oklahoma. "Results indicate that quality of services, age of home and availability of services, rural atmosphere and job and family considerations impact most significantly. Analysis of variance indicates that differences exist in the relative weighting of factors by socio-economic, demographic and locational variables."

A sociodemographic typology of middle-level regions in the USSR

"Oblast-level regions of the USSR are grouped and mapped in nine types and a number of subtypes to reflect a combination of demographic factors: level of urbanization, urban and rural population growth, and population density. The typology can be used to devise sets of spatially differentiated measures to carry out a demographic policy and to regulate the sociodemographic evolution of regions."

The rural-urban population balance again

"This paper explores further the economics of the rural-urban population balance, using the method of comparative statics. It confirms the results obtained by Artle and his colleagues, using the method of excess demand analysis, thus demonstrating that the two methods of analysis are equivalent in this context. In analysing the effects of non-neutral technological change upon urbanization, it is essential to distinguish between the total elasticity of demand for manufactured products, and the income and (compensated) price elasticities, respectively. The empirical plausibility is questioned of assuming that total demand for the aggregate of manufactured goods is elastic."

Urbanization, interregional accessibility, and the decision to migrate

Trends in population and labor force growth in nonmetropolitan areas of the United States during the 1970s are analyzed. The authors investigate the relationships among migration behavior, urban accessibility, and externalities such as congestion that are associated with urban residence. "A model of the migration decision [is examined] that incorporates in an explicit fashion this proximity-centrality relationship. Estimates of the model are also discussed, with specific attention given to the relationship under question. In addition, the age selectivity of the relationship [is] examined. Insights on the nonmetropolitan reversal drawn from the model estimates are discussed in a third section, followed by concluding remarks."

Farm labor migrations in the Awash Valley of Ethiopia

"This study is concerned with determinants and macroforces in rural-rural migrations that relate to areal differentiation and temporal patterns. Patterns and causes of farm labor migrations from the Ethiopian highlands and some lowland districts to the Awash Valley irrigation schemes are traced, the results of revised economic policies."