Ambivalent consequences for migration studies

2. London School of Economics and Political ScienceThe Migration Studies Unit Inaugural LectureMigration and Social TransformationProfessor Stephen CastlesUniversity of OxfordChair: Professor David HeldLondon School of Economics and Political Science

3. Ambivalent consequences for migration studies Positive • Growing need for data collection, research, analysis • Socially-relevant: addresses needs of migrants, affected communities, civil society, governments. • Migration studies is: ‘policy-relevant’, ‘engaged with users’, ‘in the national interest’ Negative • Research is policy-driven • Focus on short-term policy concerns of governments and international agencies • Funders determine research questions, methods, even findings

4. Contents • Migration policy failure; role of migration studies • Politicisation of migration • ‘Conventional wisdoms’ about migration today • New directions in migration theory • Social transformation as an analytical framework • Consequences for: • Theory • methods • organisation of research • Revisiting some ‘conventional wisdoms’

5. Migration policy failure US attempts to prevent irregular migration from Mexico • IRCA 1986 • Operation Gatekeeper 1994  12m irregular residents Australia’s postwar migration program,  now one of the world’s most diverse countries Germany’s guestworker program  family reunion, settlement, new ethnic minorities Temporary migration policies in Asia  already leading to longer stay and greater diversity

6. Social science and migration ‘Methodological nationalism’: • Nation-state as frame: national models: • Control and integration of ‘dangerous’ classes Assimilation: • ‘Forgetting difference vital to national identity (Renan) • ‘Rationality’ = giving up ‘pre-industrial’ culture (Weber) • ‘Re-socialisation’ into ‘modern norms’ (Park) Neo-classical economic theory: • focus on individual income maximisation Disciplinary fragmentation

7. The politicisation of migration research International migration is at the crux of the contradiction between: • The national principle of sovereignty: right of states to control cross-border flows • Transnational principle of global mobility: • Flows of capital and commodities crucial to the ‘new economy’ • Flows of people and cultures: seen as a threat to the nation-state

11. The walls you can’t see • Biometrics • Restrictive asylum policies • Visa requirements • Carrier sanctions: turning airline staff into immigration officials • ‘Safe third countries’ • Surveillance of minorities: ‘the enemy within’

13. Differentiation • Privileged entry and status for highly-skilled and entrepreneurs • Containment of refugees and exclusion of asylum seekers • ‘Side-doors’ for less-skilled: • New guestworkers • Working holidaymakers etc. • Undocumented entry and employment: preferred by many employers and governments

14. New policy directions National: • Special ministries, task forces, agencies • Labour market policies • Laws and institutions for iIntegration, social cohesion European Union • Towards common policies on migration and asylum • Exporting border control – e.g. Rabat 2006 Global: • GCIM – Global Commission on International Migration • HLD – Highly Level Dialogue on Mig. and Dev. 2006 • GFMD – Global Forum on Migration and Dev. 2007

15. Some new conventional wisdoms • South-North migration is a problem to be fixed by dealing with ‘root causes’ (poverty, violence) • Migration can drive development • through remittances, technology transfer, diaspora actions and return migration • Circular migration is a ‘win-win-win’ situation • Receiving countries get workers but no new settlers • Migrants gain economically • Origin countries gain through development support • Compulsory integration leads to social cohesion and eliminates diversity and transnationalism

16. Explaining mobility Neo-classical theory: Individual income motive Human capital Equilibrium hypothesis Historical-institutional theory Colonialism /Dependency World systems Labour for capital Perpetuating inequality Incorporation in society Exclusionary identities Guestworker systems Temporary adaptation Inclusionary assimilation Individual citizenship Adopting dominant culture Multiculturalism Cultural recognition Equality and anti-racism Migration theory 1950-90s: dual divides

17. Explaining mobility Transitional theories Zelinsky: mobility transition Martin: migration hump Skeldon: ‘development tiers’ Migration and development Remittances Social remittances Brain circulation Diasporas Incorporation in society Integration /neo-assimilation Diversity erodes social capital ‘Parallel lives’ and security Integration,social cohesion ‘Core values’, citizenship Diversity / multiculturalism Multiple identities Cosmopolitan cities Transnationalism Migration theory 1970s – 2000sNew approaches

18. Theoretical synthesis: Studying the migratory process as a whole Migration as part of the linkages between societies • New economics of labour migration (NELM) • Dual/segmented labour market theory • Migration networks • Migration as a social process • Transnational theory • Structural dependency on migration (of both origin and receiving countries)

19. Migration theory and social theory • Overcoming split between: • Development studies in origin countries • Incorporation studies in receiving countries • Overcoming the structure-agency dichotomy • Political economy of global change • Ethnography and sociology of transnational groups • Combining quantitative and qualitative research • Migration both result and cause of social change • Embedding migration research in study of globalisation and social transformation

20. Globalisation as social transformation • Social transformation: fundamental change in social structure and relationships • Result of ‘step changes’ in dominant economic or political relationships • Global reconfiguration of economies and politics transforms all societies and relations between them • Central tasks for social science: • analysing processes of social transformation • examining how global changes are mediated by local cultures and histories

21. South: Changes in rural work and life: more inequality Rural-urban migration: Unemployment Poverty Undemocratic states Conflict and violence Lack of human rights Structural adjustment erodes public services  EMIGRATION North Economic restructuring Decline of old industries Unemployment Deskilling Neo-liberal model Weakens communities erodes welfare states Fertility decline; ageing New demands for labour: High-skilled and low-skilled IMMIGRATION Immigrants as symbol of globalisation Social transformation drives South-North Migration

22. Globalisation transformsconditions for migration Technology: • Cheaper transport  repeated/cyclical mobility • Electronic communication  migrant links with home Culture • Global media: images of western life-styles • Cultural capital facilitates mobility Migrant networks • Organising migration flows and job-finding Transnational communities From once-in-a-lifetime migration to  mobility as a life strategy

23. Studying social transformation: theory • Focus on global connectivity • How international economic, political or military factors change communities and societies everywhere • Study of transnational processes • Multi-level units of analysis • Local, national, regional global • Mediation between the levels as key theme • Historically and culturally sited investigation • Relating structure and action

24. Methodological principles • Interdisciplinarity • Quantitative research to understand macro-social change • Historical understanding of sending, transit and receiving societies • Comparative studies • Holistic approach: embeddedness of migration in social transformation processes • Studying the agency of migrants and communities requires • Participatory research to include the perspectives of diverse actors • Qualitative research to understand migration processes and their social meanings

25. Organisation of research • Building transnational research networks • Overcoming nationalist and colonialist past by working with colleagues in sending and transit countries • Overcoming linguistic / cultural barriers • Key concepts have culturally specific meanings • Engaged and collaborative research • Working with communities • civil society organisations • Policy-makers and practitioners

26. Conventional wisdoms revisited - 1 South-North migration is a problem to be fixed by dealing with the ‘root causes’ • Helps support global governance strategies that impose western values and free markets • Reducing poverty and conflict will lead to more – not less - migration Migration can drive development • A new version of modernisation theory’s ‘trickle-down’ principle: Let the poor pay for development • Migration alone does not lead to development • Migration can be a part of sustainable development

27. Conventional wisdoms revisited - 2 Circular migration is a ‘win-win-win’ situation • Some (temporary) migrants will become settlers • Migrants do not benefit if they are denied equal rights • Sending countries only benefit if migration is part of an integrated development strategy Compulsory integration leads to social cohesion • Globalisation leads to greater cultural diversity (with or without migration) • Strategies to enforce integration and cohesion are likely to lead to racism and conflict • Transnationalism is a consequence of globalisation and is sure to increase in future

28. Conclusion • Recent advances in migration theory offer opportunities for bridging old divisions and overcoming the marginalisation of migration studies • There is little evidence that decision-makers pay much heed to such changes. They still are able to chose the migration research that fits in with their political needs.

29. The end Sooner or later, every wall will fall Sooner or later, every wall will fall