Core idea
Massey and España (1987) showed people tied to migrants are more likely to migrate and that migration becomes self-sustaining. Boyd (1989) reviewed family and personal networks. Networks are a form of social capital, and homophily channels migrants from one place to the same destinations.
Cumulative causation
Massey (1990) argued migration reshapes income distribution, land and culture at origin, prompting more migration. Massey and colleagues (1993) noted migration can persist after wage gaps or labour demand fade.
Evidence
Palloni and colleagues (2001) found siblings' migration raises one's own odds, Munshi (2003) showed networks improve Mexican migrants' US employment, and Garip (2008) found effects vary by context. Networks also underpin transnationalism.
FAQ
- What is it in simple terms?
- Earlier migrants help newcomers with information and jobs, so people from the same place keep migrating.
- What is cumulative causation?
- A process where migration changes origin communities and makes further migration easier.
Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26
References
- Massey, D. S., & España, F. G. (1987). The social process of international migration. Science, 237(4816), 733–738. Networks make migration self-sustaining.
- Boyd, M. (1989). Family and personal networks in international migration: Recent developments and new agendas. International Migration Review, 23(3), 638–670. Reviews family and personal networks.
- Massey, D. S. (1990). Social structure, household strategies, and the cumulative causation of migration. Population Index, 56(1), 3–26. Introduces cumulative causation.
- Massey, D. S., Arango, J., Hugo, G., Kouaouci, A., Pellegrino, A., & Taylor, J. E. (1993). Theories of international migration: A review and appraisal. Population and Development Review, 19(3), 431–466. Situates network theory among others.
- Palloni, A., Massey, D. S., Ceballos, M., Espinosa, K., & Spittel, M. (2001). Social capital and international migration: A test using information on family networks. American Journal of Sociology, 106(5), 1262–1298. Tests network effects with family data.
- Munshi, K. (2003). Networks in the modern economy: Mexican migrants in the U.S. labor market. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 118(2), 549–599. Networks raise migrant employment.
- Garip, F. (2008). Social capital and migration: How do similar resources lead to divergent outcomes? Demography, 45(3), 591–617. Network effects vary by context.