Apologies for cross posting
RGS-IBG Annual International Conference, London, 28-30 August 2013
Call for Papers
Lifestyle Migration and the State: New Frontiers in Population Geography
Session Convener: Kate Botterill (Loughborough University) Session Sponsor: PopGRG
Discussants: Dr Michaela Benson (University of York) and Prof. Karen O Reilly (Loughborough University)
This session seeks to explore the diverse and changing geographies of lifestyle migration as an emerging sub-field of migration studies and expatriate population geography. Drawing on diverse strands of population geography, such as International Retirement Migration (IRM) (King et al., 1998) counter-urbanisation (Buller and Hoggart 1994) and expatriate geographies (Fechter and Walsh, 2010), lifestyle migration has thus far been theoretically distinct through its central focus on ‘lifestyle’ in the migration process. Lifestyle migrants are theorised as ‘relatively affluent individuals, moving either part time or full-time, permanently or temporarily, to places which, for various reasons, signify for the migrants something loosely defined as quality of life’ (Benson and O Reilly, 2009,p.621). Empirically, the sub-field is dominated by studies on the motivations and experiences of these ‘privileged’ migrants in a range of locations (Benson, 2011; Casado Diaz et al., 2004; King et al., 2000; Korpela, 2009; O Reilly, 2000). Theoretically, there is an increasing recognition of the interplay between structure and agency in lifestyle migration and a concern with not only the individual experience but the wider structures and institutions that shape lifestyle migration (Benson, 2012; Benson and O’Reilly, 2009).
This session aims to provide a forum to explore new frontiers in the study of lifestyle and expatriate geographies with a particular focus on the state as a central actor in shaping lifestyle-oriented mobility. We encourage critical analysis of the role of the state in the promotion, regulation and continuation of lifestyle migration in different parts of the world. We feel that giving special attention to how state policies constrain or accelerate flows would be a critical contribution to this emerging field and of wider interest to population geographers.
We encourage original papers that make theoretical and/or empirical contribution to the field. In particular we would be interested in papers addressing the following issues:
• Theorising lifestyle migration and the state
• Promotion and packaging of lifestyle migration through state, interstate or public-private partnerships, e.g. leisure, tourism, healthcare
• Access to lifestyle migration e.g. policy regulation through visa, land rights, healthcare
• ‘Flexible citizenship’ (Ong, 1998) and the individual negotiation of state policy/process for a better quality of life
• Inter-state power and geographical imaginations of home/host destinations
• Lifestyle Migration in the Global South
• Intersections of class, gender, age and race in the experience of LM in different states
Abstracts of 250-300 words related to the above should be submitted by Tuesday 5th February 2013 to [log in to unmask]
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