Around the globe, people leave their homes to better themselves,
to satisfy needs, and to care for their families. They also migrate
to escape undesirable conditions, ranging from a lack of economic
opportunities to violent conflicts at home or in the community.
Most studies of migration have analyzed the topic at either the
macro level of national and global economic and political forces,
or the micro level of the psychology of individual migrants. Few
studies have examined the "culture of migration"-that is, the
cultural beliefs and social patterns that influence people to
move.
Cultures of Migration combines anthropological and
geographical sensibilities, as well as sociological and economic
models, to explore the household-level decision-making process that
prompts migration. The authors draw their examples not only from
their previous studies of Mexican Oaxacans and Turkish Kurds but
also from migrants from Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific,
and many parts of Asia. They examine social, economic, and
political factors that can induce a household to decide to send
members abroad, along with the cultural beliefs and traditions that
can limit migration. The authors look at both transnational and
internal migrations, and at shorter- and longer-term stays in the
receiving location. They also consider the effect that migration
has on those who remain behind. The authors' "culture of migration"
model adds an important new dimension to our understanding of the
cultural beliefs and social patterns associated with migration and
will help specialists better respond to increasing human
mobility.
eISBN: 978-0-292-73536-1
Subjects: Sociology, Anthropology, Population Studies
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