Migration patterns during Italian urbanization, 1865-1921

This study examines patterns of male migration in central Italy during its transformation from an agrarian to an urban-industrial society. The Italian population registers provide data on the extent and type of emigration among more than 3,500 men (ages 10 and over) who immigrated to the commune of Casalecchio di Reno, bordering the city of Bologna, from 1865 to 1915. Demographic and social differentials in overall rates of emigration and their relation to places of origin and destination are measured. The implications of these results for an understanding of population mobility are discussed.