Unravelling Migrants As Transnational Agents Of Development

Since the early 2000s, there has been an increased interest in international migration as a central mechanism to advance what is called the development potential of international migrants. The contributions in this book argue that the current enthusiasm about the migration-development nexus should be approached from a perspective that recognizes and critically appraises the emergence of a new agent in development discourse, variably called "migrants," "diaspora," or "transnational community." The essays, which are the result of intensive student research at Bielefeld University, depart from issues raised by the migration-development nexus and ask how life-worlds and institutions are changing in the face of cross-border processes. In this way, the book is also a contribution to the different understandings of development. (Series: Politik, Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft in einer globalisierten Welt - Vol. 11)

Increasing interconnections between nation-states across borders have rendered the transnational a key tool for understanding our world. It has made particularly strong contributions to immigration studies and holds great promise for deepening insights into international migration. This is the first book to provide an accessible yet rigorous overview of transnational migration, as experienced by family and kinship groups, networks of entrepreneurs, diasporas and immigrant associations. As well as defining the core concept, it explores the implications of transnational migration for immigrant integration and its relationship to assimilation. By examining its political, economic, social, and cultural dimensions, the authors capture the distinctive features of the new immigrant communities that have reshaped the ethno-cultural mix of receiving nations, including the US and Western Europe. Importantly, the book also examines the effects of transnationality on sending communities, viewing migrants as agents of political and economic development. This systematic and critical overview of transnational migration perfectly balances theoretical discussion with relevant examples and cases, making it an ideal book for upper-level students covering immigration and transnational relations on sociology, political science, and globalization courses.

Sitting at the nexus of labor migration and health care work, this book examines the dynamic relationship between nurses’ cross-border movement and efforts to regulate their migration. Grounded in multi-sited qualitative research, this volume analyzes the changing social dimensions and transnational scale of global nursing, focusing particularly on the recruitment from the Philippines to Germany. The flow of nursing skills from resource-poor countries to well-off ones is not only producing a global care crisis, but also serves as a prime example of the international race for talent and skill. As it takes a critical eye to the emerging field of migration governance or management as the preferred policy response to competing discourses of global care crises and the global competition for skilled care work, this book highlights not only the shifting web of actors, discourses, and practices in care work migration management, but also, and more importantly, how various forms of care figure in the global migration of nurses.

This Handbook discusses theoretical approaches to migration studies in general, as well as confronting various issues in international migration from a distinctive and unique international political economy perspective. With a focus on the relation bet

In this interdisciplinary volume, leading and emerging scholars examine the relationship between homogeneity and welfare state development. They trace Gunnar MyrdalÕs influence on thinking about race in the US and explore current European statesÕ appro

The social question is back. Yet today's social question is not primarily between labour and capital, as it was in the nineteenth century and throughout much of the twentieth. The contemporary social question is located at the interstices between the global South and the global North. It finds its expression in movements of people, seeking a better life or fleeing unsustainable social, political, economic, and ecological conditions. It is transnationalized not only because migrants and their significant others entertain ties across the borders of national states, staying in touch with family and friends, receiving or sending financial remittances in transnational social spaces. Also of importance are cross--border recruitment schemes for workers and the cross-border diffusion of norms appealed to in the case of migration--for example, the social right to decent work as a human right. Moreover, migration can become an issue of inclusion or exclusion in fields important to life chances in the emigration, transit, or immigration states--a transnationalization of national states. And, as in the nineteenth century, political conflicts arise, constituting the social question as a public concern. In earlier periods class differences dominated conflicts. While class has always been criss-crossed by manifold heterogeneities, not least of all cultural ones around ethnicity, religion, and language, it is these latter heterogeneities that have sharpened in situations of immigration and emigration over the past decades. Casting a wide net in terms of conceptual and empirical scope, this book tackles both the social structure and the politics of social inequalities. It sets a comprehensive agenda for research which also includes the public role of social scientists in dealing with the transnationalized social question.

This book concerns various modes of being transnational among a diasporic population—Armenians in Germany—by drawing parallels between the first and second generation migrants. It puts forth the questions as to whether or not, and which kind of transactional activity/ties/practices survive over generations, and to what extent transnational engagements influence self-identification and the sense of belonging. It also examines how various modes of transnationalism, in turn, impact the sense of belonging. The book fleshes out new perspectives and interpretations of transnationalism, by revealing specific aspects of border-spanning ties, and by showing that connections to the country of origin do not necessarily need to be sustained or intensive in order to survive. They can, instead, fluctuate depending on various factors but still have the “right” to be called transnational.

Contemporary international affairs are largely shaped by widely differing thematic issues and actors, such as nation states, international institutions, NGOs and multinational companies. Obtaining a deeper understanding of these multifaceted themes and actors is crucial for developing a genuine understanding of contemporary international affairs. This book provides undergraduate and postgraduate students of global politics and international relations with the necessary knowledge of the forces that shape and dominate our global political, economic and social/cultural environment. The book significantly enhances our understanding of the essentials of contemporary international affairs. Understanding Global Politics takes a pragmatic approach to international relations, with each chapter being written by an expert in their respective field: Part I provides the historical background that has led to the current state of world affairs. It also provides clear outlines of the major yet often complex theories of international relations. Part II is dedicated to the main actors in global politics. It discusses actors such as the most important nation states, the UN, EU, international organizations, NGOs and multinational companies. Part III considers important contemporary themes and challenges in global politics, including non-state centered challenges. Chapters focus on international terrorism, energy and climate change issues, religious fundamentalism and demographic changes. The comprehensive structure of this book makes it particularly viable to students who wish to pursue careers in international organizations, diplomacy, consultancy, the think tank world and the media.