Pastoral nomadism as a way of life is no longer as prevalent as it once was, but it is still an important phenomenon in the Middle East. In the last few decades, the rate of sedentarization among nomads has increased as a result of technological progress in agriculture and pastoralism, as well as political, social, ecological, and economic factors. This study focuses on the Qashqa'i nomads of Iran and their migration as an example for the Middle East. It deals with both nomadic and sedentary Qashqa'i people and examines the causes and consequences of their migration. Push-pull theory, is used as an analytical framework for the research. As a part of the methodology, logit models are employed in statistical analysis. A survey questionnaire was administered in order to develop a comprehensive picture of nomadic people at the places of origin and destination. The research attempts to generate several 'general profiles' of nomads depending upon their location--either at the place of origin or at the place of destination. These profiles can be used to increase understanding of the causes and consequences of Qashqa'i migration, as well as the processes of cultural change which occur when nomadic people 'settle' in urban areas. For the Qashqa'i the major economic, social, and environmental push factors are poverty, lack of educational institutions, and hardship of climate. The main pull factors are centred around their desire to improve educational, job, and accessibility criteria. The research also revealed that Qashqa'i culture is slowly adapting to urban ways. An examination of public migration policy shows that a more systematic approach is needed to questions of inter- and intra-regional development and migration issues.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/9745 |
| Date | January 1996 |
| Creators | Gharakhalou-Narrei, Mehdi. |
| Contributors | Langlois, Andre, |
| Publisher | University of Ottawa (Canada) |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 265 p. |
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