Apologies for cross-posting

Final Call for Papers

Children and Migration: identities, mobilities and belonging(s)

9-11th April 2008
Venue: University College Cork, Ireland

Abstracts are invited for this international and interdisciplinary 
conference exploring childhood and migration. Final date for 
submission of abstracts: 31st October 2007

Keynote speakers:

Katy Gardner and Kanwal Mand (University of Sussex, UK):
Migration and the life-cycle: what the study of transnational children 
in London can tell us

Jill Rutter (Institute for Public Policy Research, UK)
Changing patterns of child international migration in Europe: 
challenges for research, public policy and practice

While a wealth of research exists in the broad area of migration and 
childhood from a variety of perspectives and disciplinary backgrounds, 
there are few opportunities to bring this together in an integrated 
forum. This conference aims to provide such a forum by focusing on the 
intersection of these research and policy areas, focusing on 
children's own experiences and perspectives of migration, diaspora and 
transnationalism. One of the aims of the event is to facilitate a 
dialogue between academic, practitioner and policy-maker perspectives. 
It is hoped the conference will also be an opportunity to bring 
together related but distinct areas of research/policy, for example 
national dynamics of integration with transnational processes, and, 
children's experiences of migration with the experiences of children 
and youth in ethnic minorities.

Therefore we welcome papers which explore all aspects of 
children's migrations, transnational childhoods, diasporic 
childhood/youth, including internal and international migration, 
traveller and nomadic lifestyles, and return migration. Papers 
using qualitative, quantitative and/or mixed methods approaches 
are welcome, particularly those using new participatory 
methodologies with children, as well as analyses of policy or 
practice.

We welcome papers or posters in the following and other related 
topics:
*     Comparative approaches to children's experiences of different 
migration regimes, eg, children's experiences of forced migration 
and asylum-seeking processes, children in labour migrant families, 
experiences of documented/undocumented status in different 
national contexts, children and internal migration, separated 
children
*     Children's transnational experiences; transnational families 
and lifestyles (including families fragmented by international 
migration, as well as mobile global elites, and return migrant 
families)
*    Children's perspectives on ethnic, migrant and other 
identities, and their experiences of racialisation, integration, 
and peer networks (across different social spaces such as home, 
school, neighbourhood, and public spaces)
*     Cross-cultural research methods and ethics in research on 
children and migration
*     Analyses of policy responses to the needs of migrant children 
and youth, including education policies and practices 
incorporating intercultural dimensions
*     Parenting in immigrant and ethnic minority families, 
children's roles in migrant families, children's participation in migration 
decision-making
*     We also welcome offers for participation in a plenary panel 
discussion on meeting the needs of migrant children. Participants 
would give a 5-10 minute talk on an aspect of policy, practice or 
experience at local, national or international scale, on which 
they wish to raise awareness and open a discussion. These could 
include short case-studies, policy critiques or models of best 
practice.

The conference is supported by a Marie Curie Excellence Grant and 
is hosted by the Marie Curie Migrant Children Research Team, 
Department of Geography, University College Cork.

A limited number of bursaries for postgraduate students, unwaged 
and contract researchers will be made available (see details on 
website). Closing date for applications: 31st October 2007.

Deadline for submission of abstracts (max. 250 words) is 31st 
October 2007. Expressions of interest and offers of papers/posters 
are welcome prior to the deadline. 

Abstracts, expressions of interest and enquiries should be sent 
to: Caitríona Ní Laoire, Migrant Children Research Team, 
Department of Geography, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. 
Email: [log in to unmask]

Conference information including registration fees and forms are 
available on the conference website: 
http://migration.ucc.ie/children/2008conferencecall.html

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