Moved by Modernity

Moved by Modernity challenges the common belief that poverty and climate change are driving migration from poor countries. Through an in-depth study of an Ethiopian village called Wayisso, Kerilyn Schewel examines a counter-intuitive truth: as rural societies develop, more people leave. She shows how expanding markets, political reform, and education reshape aspirations and capabilities to migrate--while poverty and drought often keep people in place. Blending life histories, survey data, and rich ethnographic detail, this book offers a vital new perspective on why people migrate--and why they stay--essential for anyone seeking to understand the forces shaping global migration today.