CONTESTED MIGRATION REGIMES: EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVES AND BEYOND MID-TERM CONFERENCE of
the ESA RESEARCH NETWORK 35 “Sociology of Migration” 13th and 14th November 2014,
Frankfurt am Main
Organiser: ESA Research Network 35 Sociology of Migration Local Organiser: Anna
Amelina, Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute for Sociology
Keynotes: Helma Lutz, Goethe University Frankfurt Godfried Engbersen, Erasmus
University Rotterdam Anna Korteweg, University of Toronto
After organising successful sessions at the 11th ESA Conference in Torino, the
Research Network 35 "Sociology of Migration" is now announcing its second mid-term
conference, to be held from 13 to 14 November 2014 at Goethe University Frankfurt.
Our aim is to provide a platform for those who have already met at earlier
conferences to continue our discussions, and to invite other scholars to join us in
this endeavour. Thematically, this conference will bring together various
sociological approaches to the political regulation of migration and mobility such
as the emergence of (European) migration regimes over the past decades, the
discourses and practices involved, the social and cultural contexts of political
regulation and the impact of migration regimes on migrants’ lives and practices.
Abstracts can be submitted to [log in to unmask] by 1st April 2014 (please see
below for details).
Organiser:
ESA Research Network 35 Sociology of Migration Local Organiser: Anna Amelina, Goethe
University Frankfurt, Institute for Sociology
Keynotes: Helma Lutz, Goethe University Frankfurt, Godfried Engbersen, Erasmus
University Rotterdam, Anna Korteweg, University of Toronto
Theme of the conference:
The media debates on Islamophobia and the electoral success of the far right,
current refugee movements throughout Europe and recurring protests against FRONTEX
are recent examples of the controversial character of migration politics in Europe.
The concept of ‘migration regime’ provides a helpful framework to address the
contested and complex dynamics of current migration politics from a sociological
perspective. It allows us to explore the interplay of political decision making,
established legal frameworks, dominant discourses of belonging and institutional
configurations in the political regulation of migration. Migration regimes can thus
be seen as specific assemblages of institutions, political actors, legal regulations
and discourses which structure social practices of geographic mobility and
individual decision making.
Starting from the concept of migration regimes, our midterm conference will cover
five broad issue areas:
1. Sociological diagnoses of current changes: How do sociologists assess recent
changes in migration regimes and recently established political instruments such as
citizenship tests and increasingly detailed immigration statistics? Are we, for
example, witnessing a renaissance of guest worker regimes and the end of
‘securitised’ migration politics? What is the (future) role of the nation state and
how far developed is the transnationalisation of migration regimes? How are the
national and the supranational scales intertwined with regard to the regulation of
migration? Are we witnessing the emergence of qualitatively new forms of
transnational or postnational regulation – in the EU context as well as in other
regions of the world? How are current migration regimes linked to racialised and
gendered knowledge?
2. Political institutions and practices involved in the regulation of migration: Who
are the main actors involved in the regulation of migration (political authorities,
commercial companies, NGOs, protest movements, etc.)? How do different forms (state
and non-state) and levels of governance (the local, national, regional, and global)
play together in the regulation of migration and mobility? What role do experts
(within and beyond academia) play in this regard? What role do practices and
discourses in other professional fields such as media and education play for the
regulation of migration and citizenship?
3. Effects on migrants’ lives and practices and ‘evaluation’ of policies from below:
In what ways are mobile individuals, families, communities and diasporas affected by
migration regimes? By what means or by what ‘political technologies’ are mobile
individuals’ migration practices channelled? How do individuals navigate through the
complex formal and informal arrangements? What strategies of resistance do they use
and develop?
4. Links to politico-economic transformations: How are changes in the political
regulation of migration linked to broader societal transformations such as the rise
of neoliberalism, new industrial relations and the ongoing economic crisis? How do
these societal shifts impact migration regimes? And, how do these regimes emerge on
the global, transnational, national and city scales?
5. Sociological self-reflection: What implications do scientific accounts of
political developments have for future research practices? What (unintended) role do
sociologists play in the (re-)production of migration regimes? How can sociologists
remain relevant without becoming part of the very system they criticise?
We encourage contributions on theoretical, empirical and methodological issues.
Studies involving longitudinal and/or comparative analyses and contributions
focusing on the European context are particularly welcome, as are papers which
analyse everyday practices and strategies of action and resistance of migrants and
their families.
Call for papers
The deadline for submission of abstracts (max. 200 words) and brief biographical
notes is 1 April 2014. Please send your documents to [log in to unmask]
Decisions will be communicated by 30 April 2014.
Participants will be asked to submit their papers for presentations (up to 4,000
words, including references) to [log in to unmask] by 15 October 2014.
Organisation:
No fees will be charged, but you will need to pay for your own travel and
accommodation. Information on hotels and hostels close to the conference venue will
be communicated to all participants in due course.
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