This volume investigates the complex social, economic, and demographic factors that drive human migration and influence the integration of migrant populations into host societies. Clifford J. Jansen, a sociologist specializing in urban and migration studies, compiles a selection of foundational texts to provide a comprehensive framework for understanding population movement. The book argues that migration is not merely a statistical phenomenon but a multifaceted social process shaped by institutional, cultural, and individual variables.

Experts recognize this collection as a foundational reader for students of sociology and demography. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a rigorous introduction to the field's historical discourse.