Individual Options and Collective Patterns : Mobility and Settlement in Spain in the Second Half of the 20th Century

Abstract

Publicat originalment a: Documents d'Anàlisi Geogràfica, 42(2003): 37-70

This article uses documentary evidence on population dispersal in Spain in the second half of the 20th century to attempt to illustrate the general characteristics of the population flows, the factors that influenced their configuration and their structure. It highlights the importance of proximity but also draws attention to other factors, yielding the conclusion that certain routes are preferred in the structure of migratory destinations and starting points, and that these routes show a certain historical continuity. However, mobility is a counterpoint to permanence, and in this sense, this article underscores the strength and stability of settlement in the Spanish population. The criteria of mobility and settlement reflect the complex junctures of society.