ABSTRACT
This chapter explores return migration by burkinabe men and women. It presents a typology of migration that grows out of the Burkinabe experience, and move on to more conceptual and theoretical considerations. Return migration as a fraction of all moves provides a basic indicator of the importance of circular mobility. Return migration in rural Mossi areas accounted for less than 10 percent of all female moves prior to 1960. In addition to the gender-specific patterns of mobility, circular migration also varies according to place of residence. The adage that migration is more frequent in early adulthood than at any other period of life is valid not only for burkinabe migration in general but for return migration as well. As with all other forms of labor mobility, return migration to Burkina was, and is, characterized by a rapid increase in intensity in late adolescence and a dramatic decline in middle-age.
