Caste, land, and migration: a preliminary analysis of a village survey in an underdeveloped state in India

Tsujita Yuko and Oda Hisaya

No 334, IDE Discussion Papers from Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO)

Abstract: This paper explores migration from Bihar, one of the most underdeveloped states in India, by paying particular attention to social class (caste) and landholdings. After describing details of individual migrants, we present our preliminary findings on the determinants of migration, based on our field survey of 200 households in four villages in 2011. In terms of social class, Muslims are more likely to migrate, but Scheduled Castes do not show a high propensity to migrate as is stated in some of the existing literature where the underclass is said to be more mobile. In terms of landholdings, the probability that someone will migrate is high among the landless and smaller landholders but it decreases as the size of the landholding increases. However, as the size of the landholding increases still further, a reverse effect of landholding on decisions regarding migration moves in, with the decline in probability becoming less and less. This result confirms a non-linear relationship between landholdings and the decision to migrate. Some further research questions are raised in the paper.

Keywords: India; Population movement; Caste; Social strata; Land tenure; Rural societies; Migration; Land; Bihar (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O15 Q15 R23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012-03-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dev and nep-mig
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Published in IDE Discussion Paper = IDE Discussion Paper, No. 334. 2012-03-01

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