Book excerpt: Originally published in 1975, the studies in this volume examine the range of factors which mediate the development of social processes in both town and country: as well as migration there is the ebb and flow of beliefs, ideologies and educational and occupational opportunities. It considers the fundamental economic and political bases of migrations in the form of colonialism or multi-national controls of various kinds, international commodity markets of supply and demand, and the distinct development policies adopted by independent governments. The editor’s introduction discusses old and new models of migration; the origins of rural inequalities in development; the degree of continuity of language and belief systems between town and country and the persistence of rural links in urban settlements.