Pub Date : 2024-09-03DOI: 10.1177/01979183241275469
Amina Maharjan, Angel del Valle, Annabel Erulkar, Arabinda Mishra, Catherine Steidl, Chandni Singh, Deepshikha Sharma, Fernando Riosmena, Gabriela Pinillos, Guy Abel, Jack DeWaard, Jasmine Trang Ha, Katharine M. Donato, Nyovani Madise, Raphael Nawrotzki, Rene Nevarez, Robert McLeman, Salma Abou Hussein
For this special issue of the International Migration Review, we develop and provide a comprehensive organizing framework, the Migration Intersections Grid (MIG), to inform and guide migration research in and through the remainder of the twenty-first century. We motivate our work by conducting a high-level scoping review of summaries and syntheses of different directions of travel in migration research over time. Informed by these results, we then identify and describe 12 components that constitute the MIG, which, as we later discuss, is an interactive intersectional organizing framework. Finally, we illustrate the MIG's interactive intersectional nature by applying it to several areas of migration research where a comprehensive organizing framework of this sort is needed to address existing and emerging issues and questions now and in the coming decades.
{"title":"The Migration Intersections Grid: An Organizing Framework for Migration Research in and through the Twenty-first Century","authors":"Amina Maharjan, Angel del Valle, Annabel Erulkar, Arabinda Mishra, Catherine Steidl, Chandni Singh, Deepshikha Sharma, Fernando Riosmena, Gabriela Pinillos, Guy Abel, Jack DeWaard, Jasmine Trang Ha, Katharine M. Donato, Nyovani Madise, Raphael Nawrotzki, Rene Nevarez, Robert McLeman, Salma Abou Hussein","doi":"10.1177/01979183241275469","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01979183241275469","url":null,"abstract":"For this special issue of the International Migration Review, we develop and provide a comprehensive organizing framework, the Migration Intersections Grid (MIG), to inform and guide migration research in and through the remainder of the twenty-first century. We motivate our work by conducting a high-level scoping review of summaries and syntheses of different directions of travel in migration research over time. Informed by these results, we then identify and describe 12 components that constitute the MIG, which, as we later discuss, is an interactive intersectional organizing framework. Finally, we illustrate the MIG's interactive intersectional nature by applying it to several areas of migration research where a comprehensive organizing framework of this sort is needed to address existing and emerging issues and questions now and in the coming decades.","PeriodicalId":48229,"journal":{"name":"International Migration Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142130637","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-03DOI: 10.1177/01979183241268306
Kevin J. A. Thomas, Miracle Mara
This study examines international migration trends in Africa since the mid-1960s. It argues that African international migration trends are at a turning point that could significantly affect the future of migration studies. New African immigrant communities are emerging in Asia, South America, and other world regions, while the influence of state and non-state institutions is increasing. Moreover, interstate migration in Africa is now more disconnected from the legacies of the continent's colonial labor migration systems. By 2050, Africa is also expected to have the world's largest population in the age-groups that typically have the highest probabilities of migration, while per-capita incomes will increase in ways that could reduce the costs of migration. Although Africa's influence on future migration research is likely to increase, progress in developing theories to examine its emerging trends has been limited. With few exceptions, studies on migration in Africa focus on theory application rather than theory building. New theoretical approaches are therefore needed to adequately situate Africa's emerging migration trends within the larger context of migration studies. The building blocks for developing these theories include decolonial approaches that highlight African perspectives and the integration of the substantive influences of future migration trends into theory-building processes.
{"title":"African Migration at a Crossroads: The Social and Theoretical Implications of Emerging International Migration Trends","authors":"Kevin J. A. Thomas, Miracle Mara","doi":"10.1177/01979183241268306","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01979183241268306","url":null,"abstract":"This study examines international migration trends in Africa since the mid-1960s. It argues that African international migration trends are at a turning point that could significantly affect the future of migration studies. New African immigrant communities are emerging in Asia, South America, and other world regions, while the influence of state and non-state institutions is increasing. Moreover, interstate migration in Africa is now more disconnected from the legacies of the continent's colonial labor migration systems. By 2050, Africa is also expected to have the world's largest population in the age-groups that typically have the highest probabilities of migration, while per-capita incomes will increase in ways that could reduce the costs of migration. Although Africa's influence on future migration research is likely to increase, progress in developing theories to examine its emerging trends has been limited. With few exceptions, studies on migration in Africa focus on theory application rather than theory building. New theoretical approaches are therefore needed to adequately situate Africa's emerging migration trends within the larger context of migration studies. The building blocks for developing these theories include decolonial approaches that highlight African perspectives and the integration of the substantive influences of future migration trends into theory-building processes.","PeriodicalId":48229,"journal":{"name":"International Migration Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142130635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-02DOI: 10.1177/01979183241274759
Rodolfo Cruz-Piñeiro, Alberto Hernández Hernández, Carlos S. Ibarra
This paper examines transit migration through the Darién Gap and the Mexico–Guatemala border, focusing on the commodification of migration, the transformative role of digital platforms, and the socio-economic impacts on local economies. Based on ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews conducted from 2021 to 2023, we explore how migration has evolved into a commodified journey where services and safety are bought and sold, often exploiting migrants’ vulnerabilities. We analyze how digital platforms have become essential tools for navigation and community building among migrants, yet also introduce new risks and inequalities. Our findings highlight the dual nature of local economic adaptations, which both capitalize on and are reshaped by the migratory flows, leading to significant economic and social transformations. The paper argues for a reevaluation of migration policies that integrates these elements and supports a migration governance framework that prioritizes human dignity and rights. Through exposing these dynamic and interlinked phenomena, we aim to contribute to a better understanding of migration that goes beyond traditional paradigms of border security and control, advocating for policies that are just, equitable, and respectful of human experiences and challenges.
{"title":"Commodifying Passage: Ethnographic Insights into Migration, Markets, and Digital Mediation at the Darién Gap and Mexico–Guatemala Border","authors":"Rodolfo Cruz-Piñeiro, Alberto Hernández Hernández, Carlos S. Ibarra","doi":"10.1177/01979183241274759","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01979183241274759","url":null,"abstract":"This paper examines transit migration through the Darién Gap and the Mexico–Guatemala border, focusing on the commodification of migration, the transformative role of digital platforms, and the socio-economic impacts on local economies. Based on ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews conducted from 2021 to 2023, we explore how migration has evolved into a commodified journey where services and safety are bought and sold, often exploiting migrants’ vulnerabilities. We analyze how digital platforms have become essential tools for navigation and community building among migrants, yet also introduce new risks and inequalities. Our findings highlight the dual nature of local economic adaptations, which both capitalize on and are reshaped by the migratory flows, leading to significant economic and social transformations. The paper argues for a reevaluation of migration policies that integrates these elements and supports a migration governance framework that prioritizes human dignity and rights. Through exposing these dynamic and interlinked phenomena, we aim to contribute to a better understanding of migration that goes beyond traditional paradigms of border security and control, advocating for policies that are just, equitable, and respectful of human experiences and challenges.","PeriodicalId":48229,"journal":{"name":"International Migration Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142123774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-02DOI: 10.1177/01979183241269445
Jørgen Carling
“Why do people migrate?” is a question that forms the pivot of migration studies, and migration theory in particular. But it has hardly found satisfactory answers. In this article, I reapproach the question from an array of diverse angles and provide eight responses. Some are aligned with recent theoretical developments, others unpack long-standing ideas with evolving significance, and still others are fundamentally atheoretical. Together, they show how the question can be answered, how it is being answered—even inadvertently or misleadingly—and what the implications are of answering the question in different ways. These are the responses, which each initiates a discussion: (1) For the reasons under which they are admitted as immigrants; (2) For reasons that are socially legitimate; (3) Because the sum of push and pull factors is in favor of migration; (4) Because they have the aspiration and the ability to do so; (5) Because an opportunity presents itself; (6) Either because they chose to or because they are forced to; (7) Because they see migration as either intrinsically or instrumentally valuable; (8) To lead a normal life. The discussions demonstrate how theoretical, methodological and political dimensions of migration sway the ways in which reasons for migration are understood and represented. “Why do people migrate?” is slippery as a research question, but its indeterminate nature makes it a guiding light for research that navigates a diversity of perspectives with humility and curiosity.
{"title":"Why Do People Migrate? Fresh Takes on the Foundational Question of Migration Studies","authors":"Jørgen Carling","doi":"10.1177/01979183241269445","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01979183241269445","url":null,"abstract":"“Why do people migrate?” is a question that forms the pivot of migration studies, and migration theory in particular. But it has hardly found satisfactory answers. In this article, I reapproach the question from an array of diverse angles and provide eight responses. Some are aligned with recent theoretical developments, others unpack long-standing ideas with evolving significance, and still others are fundamentally atheoretical. Together, they show how the question can be answered, how it is being answered—even inadvertently or misleadingly—and what the implications are of answering the question in different ways. These are the responses, which each initiates a discussion: (1) For the reasons under which they are admitted as immigrants; (2) For reasons that are socially legitimate; (3) Because the sum of push and pull factors is in favor of migration; (4) Because they have the aspiration and the ability to do so; (5) Because an opportunity presents itself; (6) Either because they chose to or because they are forced to; (7) Because they see migration as either intrinsically or instrumentally valuable; (8) To lead a normal life. The discussions demonstrate how theoretical, methodological and political dimensions of migration sway the ways in which reasons for migration are understood and represented. “Why do people migrate?” is slippery as a research question, but its indeterminate nature makes it a guiding light for research that navigates a diversity of perspectives with humility and curiosity.","PeriodicalId":48229,"journal":{"name":"International Migration Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142123700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-28DOI: 10.1177/01979183241272470
Stephanie Nawyn, Linlang He, Jiquan Chen, Mark Axelrod, Furqan Irfan, Fahad S. Ahmed, Mary Anne Walker
The scholarship on migration and climate change has been rapidly developed over recent decades, moving away from apocalyptic predictions of mass displacement toward more nuanced modeling of the complex relationships between climate change and migration. Unfortunately, much of that development has happened in parallel to the core of migration studies and thus our prevailing migration theories do not reflect these emerging studies of climate and migration. Our objectives for this article are to describe the general theoretical assertions made in the climate change-migration literature and propose a theoretical framework for guiding empirical investigations into the ways that climate change drives human migration, identifying the mediating variables that more directly shape migration and integrating multiple levels of analyses. We provide an example of how our theoretical framework can be used to design an analytic strategy and conclude by suggesting how future research can use this conceptual model to move toward a cohesive theory of climate-related migration and resulting policy responses.
{"title":"Mapping the Future of Migration and Climate Change Science","authors":"Stephanie Nawyn, Linlang He, Jiquan Chen, Mark Axelrod, Furqan Irfan, Fahad S. Ahmed, Mary Anne Walker","doi":"10.1177/01979183241272470","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01979183241272470","url":null,"abstract":"The scholarship on migration and climate change has been rapidly developed over recent decades, moving away from apocalyptic predictions of mass displacement toward more nuanced modeling of the complex relationships between climate change and migration. Unfortunately, much of that development has happened in parallel to the core of migration studies and thus our prevailing migration theories do not reflect these emerging studies of climate and migration. Our objectives for this article are to describe the general theoretical assertions made in the climate change-migration literature and propose a theoretical framework for guiding empirical investigations into the ways that climate change drives human migration, identifying the mediating variables that more directly shape migration and integrating multiple levels of analyses. We provide an example of how our theoretical framework can be used to design an analytic strategy and conclude by suggesting how future research can use this conceptual model to move toward a cohesive theory of climate-related migration and resulting policy responses.","PeriodicalId":48229,"journal":{"name":"International Migration Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142090034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-28DOI: 10.1177/01979183241271638
Molly Dondero, Claire E. Altman
Health is an integral feature of immigration, providing not only insight into population health but also a critical lens into immigrant integration and the power structure in receiving countries. The goal of this article is to chart the trajectory of scholarship on immigrants’ health, focusing on the formative shift away from dominant individualistic perspectives focused on cultural and behavioral explanations toward a profoundly structural understanding of immigrants’ health. Focusing primarily on the US context, we synthesize theoretical and empirical advances in structural perspectives of immigrants’ health. We anchor these advances in the concept of exclusion, detailing how it undergirds structuralist perspectives of immigrants’ health. We review common ways in which exclusion has been measured in the empirical literature on immigrants’ health and highlight recent evidence linking exposure to exclusion to immigrants’ health outcomes across the life course. We conclude by discussing key directions and challenges for future research.
{"title":"The Toll of Exclusion on Immigrants’ Health across the Life Course: Research Advances and Future Directions","authors":"Molly Dondero, Claire E. Altman","doi":"10.1177/01979183241271638","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01979183241271638","url":null,"abstract":"Health is an integral feature of immigration, providing not only insight into population health but also a critical lens into immigrant integration and the power structure in receiving countries. The goal of this article is to chart the trajectory of scholarship on immigrants’ health, focusing on the formative shift away from dominant individualistic perspectives focused on cultural and behavioral explanations toward a profoundly structural understanding of immigrants’ health. Focusing primarily on the US context, we synthesize theoretical and empirical advances in structural perspectives of immigrants’ health. We anchor these advances in the concept of exclusion, detailing how it undergirds structuralist perspectives of immigrants’ health. We review common ways in which exclusion has been measured in the empirical literature on immigrants’ health and highlight recent evidence linking exposure to exclusion to immigrants’ health outcomes across the life course. We conclude by discussing key directions and challenges for future research.","PeriodicalId":48229,"journal":{"name":"International Migration Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142089958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-08DOI: 10.1177/01979183241264990
Ludmila Bogdan
This paper explores Moldovas unique context within migration studies, highlighting its potential to enhance theoretical frameworks on migration. Despite its small size, Moldova has a significant portion of its population working abroad, offering insights into both migration and immobility. The study examines Moldova's dual migratory flows toward the European Union (EU) and Russia, influenced by cultural, historical, and economic ties. Contrary to conventional views, the context of Moldova reveals that financial accessibility and robust social networks do not always result in increased migration aspirations in migration decisions. It also addresses the interconnected issues of human trafficking and migration, emphasizing often-overlooked social dimensions. Positioning Moldova as a valuable “migration laboratory,” this study aims to generate academic interest and propose new research directions to refine migration theories.
{"title":"The Exodus of Moldova: Understanding the Migration Dilemma","authors":"Ludmila Bogdan","doi":"10.1177/01979183241264990","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01979183241264990","url":null,"abstract":"This paper explores Moldovas unique context within migration studies, highlighting its potential to enhance theoretical frameworks on migration. Despite its small size, Moldova has a significant portion of its population working abroad, offering insights into both migration and immobility. The study examines Moldova's dual migratory flows toward the European Union (EU) and Russia, influenced by cultural, historical, and economic ties. Contrary to conventional views, the context of Moldova reveals that financial accessibility and robust social networks do not always result in increased migration aspirations in migration decisions. It also addresses the interconnected issues of human trafficking and migration, emphasizing often-overlooked social dimensions. Positioning Moldova as a valuable “migration laboratory,” this study aims to generate academic interest and propose new research directions to refine migration theories.","PeriodicalId":48229,"journal":{"name":"International Migration Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141908936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-02DOI: 10.1177/01979183241265001
Stefan Gröschl
Through financial and nonfinancial remittances such as intellectual capital, social capital, advocacy, political capital and voluntarism, diaspora women provide lifelines for their families and support to community development in their homelands. However, their contributions in humanitarian and development actions are poorly documented and reported, and their potential has not been fully harnessed. This country report describes the case of Somali women diaspora and their role in rebuilding Somalia. The report outlines recent migration movements in Somalia, before describing the different profiles of Somali diaspora women returning to Somalia, and their motivation to engage in the rebuilding of their home country. Based on interviews with Somali diaspora women and members of relevant Somali ministries and governmental bodies, the author describes the challenges for Somali diaspora women to leverage their engagements in Somalia, and the changes needed to enhance the impact of their contributions.
{"title":"Challenges for Diaspora Women to Rebuild Their Homeland: The Case of Somalia","authors":"Stefan Gröschl","doi":"10.1177/01979183241265001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01979183241265001","url":null,"abstract":"Through financial and nonfinancial remittances such as intellectual capital, social capital, advocacy, political capital and voluntarism, diaspora women provide lifelines for their families and support to community development in their homelands. However, their contributions in humanitarian and development actions are poorly documented and reported, and their potential has not been fully harnessed. This country report describes the case of Somali women diaspora and their role in rebuilding Somalia. The report outlines recent migration movements in Somalia, before describing the different profiles of Somali diaspora women returning to Somalia, and their motivation to engage in the rebuilding of their home country. Based on interviews with Somali diaspora women and members of relevant Somali ministries and governmental bodies, the author describes the challenges for Somali diaspora women to leverage their engagements in Somalia, and the changes needed to enhance the impact of their contributions.","PeriodicalId":48229,"journal":{"name":"International Migration Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141880358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}