Indeed. When called upon to lecture on migration (as I not 
infrequently am) my lecture notes go thus:

"The history of migration is the history of humanity – 
there is no country, area, region on the planet that has 
not experienced some form of migration as an important 
cultural determinant; continuous and often large-scale 
ebbs and flows of migration are a global historical 
constant... Multiculturalism is in itself a very deceptive 
word because all societies, even the most apparently 
isolated, are by their very nature multi-cultural - what 
differs is only degree, type and intensity. In the context 
of migration the term multi-cultural is not so much a 
state of being, or a measure of how many or what type of 
cultures are included, if not an assessment of the degree 
of acceptance, the celebration of the variety of cultures 
and an understanding that there is no 'core' culture.... 
Migration is the norm in terms of human development – 
stable long-term existence in the same  community/region 
in terms of human history is a relative new-comer."


-- 
Dr Jon Cloke
Lecturer
Geography Department
Loughborough University
Loughborough LE11 3TU

E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Tel: 00 44 07984 813681


On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:34:13 +0100
 David Crouch <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Dear Adeola,
> 
> yes, I completely agree with all you say [even my slack 
>use of language!]
> your final point is at the heart of it- merely that the 
>words `mobility paradigm` dont do justice to the issues 
>you rightly raise.
> best wishes, David
> ________________________________
>From: A forum for critical and radical geographers 
>[[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Adeola 
>Enigbokan [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 22 October 2009 19:25
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Cultures of movement conference: deadline 
>extended
> 
> I am an African American, descended from slaves and 
>immigrants. I am happy to hear that there will be a 
>conference in the Americas addressing the fact that the 
>mobilities paradigm should be a core part of social 
>research in our hemisphere.
> 
> Many of "US" are not "native" to these islands and 
>continents. So the "mobilities paradigm" may be a great 
>way to understand how we live, how we move, how we 
>imagine ourselves.
> 
> Most Americans do not die where they were born, whether 
>they stay "in the good ole country" or not. (By the way, 
>this strange transliteration of "American speech" does 
>not describe the way most of "US" speak, at all).
> 
> We are people whose, histories are written on our 
>bodies, which are constantly in movement. Maybe it is 
>because mobility is such a fact of our lives, that we 
>have not named the "mobilities paradigm."
> 
> Thank you for helping to organize this conference, 
>Phillip
> 
> Adeola Enigbokan
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:32:19 -0700
>From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Cultures of movement conference: deadline 
>extended
> To: [log in to unmask]
> 
> I'm Canadian, so I'm not sure how (or whether) to 
>address this.
> p.
> 
> Phillip Vannini, PhD
> Associate Professor
> School of Communication and Culture
> 2005 Sooke Road
> Royal Roads University
> Victoria BC V9B 5Y2
> CANADA
> Phone: (250) 391-2600 ext. 4477
>Fax: (250) 391-2694
> [log in to unmask]
> 
> ________________________________
>From: A forum for critical and radical geographers on 
>behalf of David Crouch
> Sent: Thu 22/10/2009 9:22 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Cultures of movement conference: deadline 
>extended
> 
> sorry to mix calls with debate, but
> I hope Americas dont share the new romanticism of 
>mobility `paradigm` so called, replacing, as Urry sought, 
>societies! and dont most USamericans stay in the good ole 
>country?
> best, David
> 
> ________________________________
>From: A forum for critical and radical geographers 
>[[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Phillip 
>Vannini [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 22 October 2009 16:55
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Cultures of movement conference: deadline 
>extended
> 
> Due to the great interest in this conference, we felt it 
>would be best to extend the abstract submission deadline 
>to Nov. 15.
> 
> Cultures of Movement: Mobile Subjects, Communities, and 
>Technologies in the Americas
> http://tinyurl.com/l6k97s
> 
> Panel, paper, and alternative-format presentation 
>submissions are invited for the “Cultures of Movement: 
>Mobile Subjects, Communities, and Technologies in the 
>Americas” conference, to be held in Victoria, British 
>Columbia, Canada, on April 8-10, 2010.
> 
> Open to students, scholars, and professionals, the 
>conference is meant to build new ties amongst all those 
>interested in the theoretical or applied study of 
>mobilities. The study of mobilities is a young and 
>constantly evolving interdisciplinary field. The concept 
>of “mobility” refers to the social, political, 
>historical, cultural, economic, geographic, 
>communicative, and material dimensions of movement. 
>Students and scholars of mobilities focus their attention 
>on the intersecting movements of bodies, objects, 
>capital, and signs across time-space, paying attention as 
>well as to the way relations between mobility and 
>immobility constitute new networks and patterns of social 
>life. The multiple forms of mobility, or mobilities, are 
>often taken to include—amongst others—subjects such as: 
>transportation; travel and tourism; migration; 
>transnational flows of people, objects, information, and 
>capital; mobile communications; and social networks and 
>meetings. While the conference is open to all themes 
>pertinent to the study of mobilities from a social and 
>cultural perspective—irrespective of the geographical 
>site of empirical or theoretical attention—the main focus 
>of the conference will be on the experience, practice, 
>social organization, and cultural significance of forms 
>of mobility in North, Central, and South America.
> 
> Whereas in Europe the new mobilities paradigm has taken 
>a strong hold in academic units, professional research 
>networks, and recognized publication outlets, the study 
>of mobilities is still in its infancy in the Americas. In 
>contrast, mobility is very much part of the core of the 
>social imaginary, geo-politics, and cultural life of the 
>Americas. Indeed, to be “on the move” is amongst the most 
>quintessential characteristics of what it means to be a 
>citizen of the Americas. Furthermore, the Americas are 
>home to many, distinct mobile cultures and practices: 
>from indigenous cultures rooted in traditional meanings 
>of home to the historical institutionalization of 
>colonial and postcolonial trade routes and forced 
>relocations, from controversial experiments in free 
>transnational trade, to the politics and experience of 
>migration and Diaspora, from the widespread diffusion of 
>portable communication technologies, to the mobilization 
>of surveillance systems, and from the leisure mobilities 
>of tourism, to the social and cultural significance of 
>transportation and movement in daily life.
> 
> The deadline for abstract submission has been extended 
>to: November 15, 2009.
> 
> 
> Phillip Vannini, PhD
> Associate Professor
> School of Communication and Culture
> 2005 Sooke Road
> Royal Roads University
> Victoria BC V9B 5Y2
> CANADA
> Phone: (250) 391-2600 ext. 4477
>Fax: (250) 391-2694
> [log in to unmask]
> 
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