Longitudinal Approaches to Migration in Social History

The use of data from population registers in Western Europe examine historical trends in migration back the beginning of the nineteenth century is considered. The authors attempt to show how such sources can be utilized yield rich historical detail on migration by making use of some well established demographic techniques particularly those deriving from life-table methods. The methods described are illustrated using data from the Italian town of Casalecchio di Reno for the period 1865-1921. (EXCERPT)