Migration is permanent or semi-permanent change of residence of an individual or group of people over a significant distance. It can be international, intra- national, interregional, intra-urban, rural-to-urban or urban-to-rural. On the basis of distance, it may be long or short distance. On the basis of number, it may be individual or mass; it may be politically sponsored or voluntary. On the basis of social organisation, migration may be that of family, community, clan, or individual. On the basis of causes, migration may be stepwise or direct from the place of origin to the destination. In Indian context, male migration is more prevalent in search of better life chances, job opportunities along with other secondary factors.

Consequences of Male Migration

Male migration has a direct and indirect consequence on society, demography, economy, and environment. Major consequences of migration are:

1. Crisis of identity: Migration creates a crisis of identity for migrants. They, in fact, present cases of ‘marginal man’ - a concept developed by Robert E Park. The marginal-man, in simple words, is said to be one who is in the process of changing from one culture to another. A marginal man suffers from the problems of maladjustment precisely because he feels lost amidst the pressures of two cultures, as he cannot completely change from one cultural system to another.
2. Maladjustment: As process of migration accelerates, city life tend to be rapidly characterized by cultural diversities, socio-economic inequalities, competition, conflict and several other manifestations of complexities of social reality. The fact of social mobility also affects the life of the city-dwellers. In such a competitive environment, several among those, who are the losers, fail to suitably adjust to the reality, and become victims of frustration, inferiority complex and loss of a meaningful integration with the totality of city-life. All such failures give rise to the problem of maladjustment.
3. Change in demographic characteristics: Migration brings tangible change in demographic characteristics of place of origin and place of destination. The absolute number of population, the density of population, age composition, and literacy rates are either favourably or adversely affected.
4. Change in sex ratio: The sex ratio at the place of destination drops as the male members have been added while the sex ratio at the place of origin increases.
5. Transformation of ethnic characteristics: The physical and marital contacts of people belonging to different ethnic groups may change the biological characteristic of the migrants and that of the host population.
6. Transformation of cultural values: When large scale migration takes place, the cultural values of the place undergo radical transformation. The dietary habits of the people are also significantly transformed.
7. Rural-urban divide: As skilled population move to cities, villages are often left with no leadership. Government focus also shifts from rural to urban areas as more population crowd cities and they become unmanageable and highly strained.
8. Economic consequences: It increases financial burden on limited resources, displaces native workers, and may decrease wage level with the increase of population. Further, household structure forms the key mediating factor through which husbands'' absence affects women. Women not residing in extended families are faced with both higher levels of responsibilities and greater autonomy, while women who live in extended households do not experience these demands or benefits.

A common pattern characterizing migration of men in developing countries is that they leave their wives and children in the place of origin while they migrate in search of work. Male migration is also found to affect the fertility rate of the region. On the other hand, male migration contributes to an extent in skewed sex ratio. For example, in metro cities like Delhi and Mumbai, male migration changes the demography of the cities in terms of skewed sex ratio in favour of males. Thus, male migration in particular and migration in general affects the society its components and institutions in more than one way.