Extending theory and evidence about cumulative causation and migration to Thailand: comparisons of destinations and sex

Sara Curran, Princeton University
Filiz Garip, Princeton University

We examine longitudinal data from Thailand and compare gendered migration patterns to three substantively different destinations (a regional, primarily agricultural wage labourer market; a primate city and its surrounding suburbs; and a newly industrialized, state sponsored export processing zone). Comparing differential effects of migrant networks on migration propensities of men and women across destinations, we aim to extend our theoretical understanding of the role of cumulative causation for influencing migration patterns. Using a unique data set from Thailand that allows us to observe variation across villages, households, and destinations over time, we observe that migrant characteristics as well as the effect of prior migration experience change dramatically by destination, by the sex composition of the migrant stream, and by the sex of the migrant.