How does migrant transnationalism matter in and for emigration contexts?
Session organizers: Marta Bivand Erdal & Erik Snel, IMISCOE standing committee on Migrant Transnationalism (prev. Interactions of Migrant Transnationalism and Integration)
Session discussant: Hein de Haas
Migrant transnationalism, such as in the form of remittances, diaspora development engagements, and return visits impact emigration contexts. Since the 1990s research has explored a multitude of ways in which migrants continued transnational ties with origin areas impact people and places spanning transnational social fields. Much attention has been paid to the potential of migrants' transnational ties, in the context of the migration-development-nexus. This session aims to revisit some of the by now longstanding debates on topics, such as, but not limited to:
- effects and dynamics of remittances
- organization, impact and legitimacy of diaspora organizations (eg. development engagements)
- potential and limits to emigrant political influence transnationally (eg. voting)
- nurturing or challenging 'culture of migration' discourses
- intersections between visit-family-and-friends-tourism and livelihood opportunities
For this session we welcome papers that seek to move beyond the state of the art, theoretically, empirically or through the selection of geographic contexts of study (anywhere globally where emigration matters). We especially encourage analytical attention to the roles, varyingly, of gender and class, or ethnic and religious (minority) backgrounds. Finally, the politics of international migration are a likely frame of reference, which papers are encouraged to consider where relevant.
Abstracts of 200 words should be sent to marta@prio.no and snel@essb.eur.nl at the latest by Monday 26 November. Please include your name and institutional affiliation. We encourage abstracts that specify the methods and data used, geographic context, research question, and relevance to the themes proposed. Information about the outcome of the abstract selection process will be circulated by the 29 November.
