Oc teacher's notes unit 3a

Worksheet Task 6

Are these examples of ‘magnets’ or ‘glue’?

1. availability of jobs 

2. a variety of job opportunities

3. affordable housing

4. presence of other migrants

5. a city’s reputation

6. educational opportunities

7. access to community activities

Answers:

1. = M 2. = M 3. = G 4. = M 5. = M 6. = G 7. = G

 

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Tapescript: 

A radio interview with an American expert on population movement.

I = Interviewer     E = Expert

I: Here we are with Dr Marylyn, a professor at the local university and an expert in 

population movement. Dr Marylyn, You talk about magnets and glue - things that attract 

migrants to cities, and things that keep them there. Can you explain what you mean by 

these terms?

E: Yes, of course. Well, basically, we begin with the idea that important international cities 

have to be competitive in the global economy. Cities which are not competitive decline – 

they begin to lose population. To be competitive, they have to attract skills and talent from 

all over the world. The most successful cities attract the best skills and talent, and become 

even more successful. The magnets are what attract people to these cities.

I: Yes that makes sense. So what attracts people to these cities? What are the magnets?

E: Well, probably the most important magnet is the availability of jobs. Cities that offer lots of  

job opportunities, and a wide variety of jobs, attract a lot of migrants.

I: And what other magnets are there?

E: Well, knowledge of a city is important. If a city has an international reputation – London, 

New York, Paris, Moscow – you’ve seen them on TV, you’ve heard of them, you’ve seen 

them in newspapers and magazines – they give the impression of being safe, accessible, 

open cities. This is why cities organise international events like the Olympics, EXPOs, 

cultural festivals and international trade fairs. 

I: And I suppose that a big, migrant population attracts other migrants.

E: That’s right. Having a big migrant population is in itself an attractive feature of a city. 

Foreign people are happier in a place where there are lots of foreign people. It’s also true 

that people feel more secure in cities where there are lots of people from their own 

countries. It gives them access to their home culture – shops, family and friends, cultural 

events.

E: And what about glue?

I: Well, going back to what we said before – that successful cities need the skills and talents 

of migrant workers. Well, if the migrants attract them, the glue convinces them to stay – and 

this is what is really important.

I: So what kind of thing encourages people to stay in a place? What’s the glue?

E: Well, cities that want to retain migrants need to pay attention to the quality of life on offer. 

People need to have their aspirations fulfilled.

I: Yeah.

E: People need affordable housing in nice areas, educational opportunities for themselves 

and their children, cultural and recreational activities. They need access to social and 

community activities, to belong to the community. They need access to the job market in 

terms of visas and legal permits. They need to be able to set up their own business if they 

want. These are the glue factors. Other factors like (fade out).....

•

To round the activity off ask students if they agree with the expert and ask if there 

are any ‘magnets’ and ‘glue’ missing from the list that they think are important.

•

Ask the students what the ‘magnets’ and ‘glue’ of their own city are for them. Try 

to get their personal opinions rather than ‘correct’ answers.

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