ABSTRACT
Persons who migrate to a particular city because they have kinsmen living there who can be called upon for assistance represent an important subtype of this general category, as do migrants who move at the time of major changes in the family life cycle, such as marriage, widowhood, or birth of the first child. Poor or landless household heads may lack the economic resources needed to legitimize their parental authority, while poorer in-migrants to the city may be too hard-pressed economically to remit much of their earnings to their family of origin. Kinfolk may also provide a place to stay or some sort of financial assistance to the newcomer upon his arrival in the city. Empirical studies from the region have shown that migrants—especially those in the lower status categories—do take advantage of such services upon their arrival in the city.
