Generations, Mobility and Persistence: A View from Genealogies

Abstract

Recent studies on rural transformation and mobility have emphasized the importance of considering these interrelated themes in relation to specific locational and historical contexts. This paper argues that in order to integrate historical demography with the social history of Ontario's rural population, it will be necessary to move beyond the confines of the census-based cross-sectional approach and instead develop a longitudinal perspective. A life-history approach based on linking the information found in genealogies with other records is suggested as a possible strategy enabling researchers to better understand how individuals and families responded to changes in rural society.