What is the relationship between migration and rural social structure? How does the selective movement out of rural areas affect the economic and social conditions of migrants, their families, and their places of origin? Addressing these and other questions, the contributors to this book consider rural migration patterns in the context of social change and economic development in three less developed nations: Korea, Sri Lanka, and Mali. Through comparative analysis the authors reveal both the diversity and the cross-national similarities of rural migration, offering theoretical bases for its interpretation and pointing to policy implications for developing areas.