London School of Economics and Political Science

The Migration Studies Unit Inaugural Lecture

Migration and Social Transformation

Professor Stephen CastlesUniversity of Oxford

Chair: Professor David HeldLondon School of Economics and Political Science

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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

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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’

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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

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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

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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

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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’

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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

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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

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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

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Migration theory 1950-90s: dual divides

Explaining mobilityNeo-classical theory:• Individual income motive• Human capital• Equilibrium hypothesis

Historical-institutional theory• Colonialism /Dependency• World systems• Labour for capital• Perpetuating inequality

Incorporation in societyExclusionary identities• Guestworker systems• Temporary adaptationInclusionary assimilation• Individual citizenship• Adopting dominant

cultureMulticulturalism• Cultural recognition• Equality and anti-racism

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Migration theory 1970s – 2000s New approaches

Explaining mobilityTransitional theories• Zelinsky: mobility transition• Martin: migration hump• Skeldon: ‘development

tiers’Migration and development• Remittances• Social remittances• Brain circulation• Diasporas

Incorporation in societyIntegration /neo-assimilation• Diversity erodes social

capital• ‘Parallel lives’ and security• Integration,social cohesion• ‘Core values’, citizenshipDiversity / multiculturalism • Multiple identities• Cosmopolitan cities• Transnationalism

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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)

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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

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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

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Social transformation drives South-North Migration

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-skilledIMMIGRATION Immigrants as symbol of

globalisation

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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 communitiesFrom once-in-a-lifetime migration to mobility as a life strategy

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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The end

Sooner or later, every wall will fall

Sooner or later, every wall will fall