LCSS-London Centre for Social Studies

Monday, May 21st

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Book Launch: Cultures of Migration

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Around the globe, people leave their homes to better themselves, to satisfy needs, and to care for their families. They also migrate to escape undesirable conditions, ranging from a lack of economic opportunities to violent conflicts at home or in the community. Most studies of migration have analyzed the topic at either the macro level of national and global economic and political forces, or the micro level of the psychology of individual migrants. Few studies have examined the "culture of migration"—that is, the cultural beliefs and social patterns that influence people to move.

Cultures of Migration combines anthropological and geographical sensibilities, as well as sociological and economic models, to explore the household-level decision-making process that prompts migration. The authors draw their examples not only from their previous studies of Mexican Oaxacans and Turkish Kurds but also from migrants from Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific, and many parts of Asia. They examine social, economic, and political factors that can induce a household to decide to send members abroad, along with the cultural beliefs and traditions that can limit migration. The authors look at both transnational and internal migrations, and at shorter- and longer-term stays in the receiving location. They also consider the effect that migration has on those who remain behind. The authors' "culture of migration" model adds an important new dimension to our understanding of the cultural beliefs and social patterns associated with migration and will help specialists better respond to increasing human mobility.

Biography: Ibrahim Sirkeci is Professor of Transnational Studies and Marketing at Regent’s College London, UK. He is also the Director of the Regent’s Centre for Transnational Studies (RCTS). He holds a PhD from the University of Sheffield and a BA from Bilkent University. Previously he worked at the University of Bristol and University of Sheffield in the UK and Hacettepe, Bilkent and Atilim universities in Turkey. His recent research focused on human mobility, conflict, human insecurity, remittances, segregation, segmentation, marketing of business schools, and transnational mobile consumers. His books include Cultures of Migration (University of Texas Press, Austin, USA, 2011), Migration and Remittances during the Global Financial Crisis and Beyond (The World Bank, Washington, DC., USA, 2011), and The Environment of Insecurity in Turkey and the Emigration of Turkish Kurds to Germany (Edwin Mellen Press, New York, USA, 2006). He is also the editor of journals Migration Letters, Transnational Marketing Journal, and Border Crossing.