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Societies
Special Issues
On the Move: Human Migration Past, Present and Future
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On the Move: Human Migration Past, Present and Future

A special issue of Societies (ISSN 2075-4698).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 August 2014) | Viewed by 54121

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Madine VanderPlaat

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sociology & Criminology, 923 Robie St., Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Interests: Immigrant women, children and families; social exclusion; health equity; citizen participation; feminist methodologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Human beings have been on the move for an estimated 80,000 years when homo sapiens first began migrating from their homes in Africa. Over the centuries the history of the social world has been profoundly shaped by humanity's ebb and flow throughout the four corners of the earth. Sometimes on a voluntary basis, sometimes forced, mass migration has been propelled by natural disasters, persecution, war, and poverty; colonization and exploitation; political and religious oppression and the longing for a healthier, wealthier and safer life. In 2013 there were 232 million international migrants (3.2% of the world’s population), more men, women and children “on the move” then at any other time in history. This special issue provides a critical look at how mass migrations have affected the past and present of both sending and receiving countries as well as the how advancements in transportation and communications technology will affect patterns of transnational population movements in the future. Contributors also call our attention to the gendered and familial nature of the migration experience.

Prof. Dr. Madine VanderPlaat
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Societies is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • migration patterns
  • transnationalism
  • gender
  • children
  • families

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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531 KiB  
Article
The Mexican Drug War and the Consequent Population Exodus: Transnational Movement at the U.S.-Mexican Border
by Maria Cristina Morales, Oscar Morales, Angelica C. Menchaca and Adam Sebastian
Societies 2013, 3(1), 80-103; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc3010080 - 25 Jan 2013
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 10351
Abstract
At the frontline of México’s “war on drugs” is the Mexican-U.S. border city of Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua, which has become internationally known as the “murder capital of the world.” In Juárez, which neighbors El Paso, Texas, United States, estimates of the murders in [...] Read more.
At the frontline of México’s “war on drugs” is the Mexican-U.S. border city of Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua, which has become internationally known as the “murder capital of the world.” In Juárez, which neighbors El Paso, Texas, United States, estimates of the murders in Juárez are as high as 7,643 between 2006 and 2011, leaving approximately 10,000 orphans. Juárez has also experienced an exodus of approximately 124,000 people seeking safety, some migrating to the Mexican interior and others to the U.S., particularly along the U.S.-México border. Based on 63 in-depth interviews with Juárez-El Paso border residents, along with ethnographic observations, we examine the implications of the “war on drugs” on transnational movements and on the initial settlement of those escaping the violence. In particular, we construct a typology of international migrants who are represented in the Juárez exodus: the Mexican business elite, the “Refugees without Status,” and those who resided in México but who are U.S. born or have legal permanent residency in the U.S. This article highlights the role of transnational capital in the form of assets and income, social networks in the U.S., and documentation to cross the port of entry into the U.S. legally, in easing migration and initial settlement experiences in the U.S. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue On the Move: Human Migration Past, Present and Future)
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314 KiB  
Article
Does Migration Lead to Development? Or is it Contributing to a Global Divide?
by Annelies Zoomers and Gery Nijenhuis
Societies 2012, 2(3), 122-138; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc2030122 - 12 Sep 2012
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 7438
Abstract
This article aims to show that the benefits of international migration (often presented as a ‘global flow’) very much depend on the positionality of the areas involved, as well as the regional particularities. It is argued that countries producing south-north migration or diasporic [...] Read more.
This article aims to show that the benefits of international migration (often presented as a ‘global flow’) very much depend on the positionality of the areas involved, as well as the regional particularities. It is argued that countries producing south-north migration or diasporic states are in a more favorable position to benefit from international migration than countries that are mainly involved in south-south migration. In addition, the opportunity to benefit from international migration very much depends on geographical particularities. For example, international migration in the context of Latin America/USA is in many respects not comparable to what is happening in Africa, Asia, the EU and the Gulf States. Even though international migration is often described in terms of a growing connectedness in the age of globalization, it progresses also hand in hand with new gaps and regional divides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue On the Move: Human Migration Past, Present and Future)
292 KiB  
Article
Family Migration: Fulfilling the Gap between Law and Social Processes
by Laura Zanfrini
Societies 2012, 2(3), 63-74; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc2030063 - 05 Jul 2012
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5520
Abstract
In the last twenty-five years, the family entity has been imposed as a crucial actor in understanding migratory strategies and behaviors, the study of the integration into the host society, the analysis of the impact of migrations for the sending and receiving countries [...] Read more.
In the last twenty-five years, the family entity has been imposed as a crucial actor in understanding migratory strategies and behaviors, the study of the integration into the host society, the analysis of the impact of migrations for the sending and receiving countries and, last but not least, the evaluation of migratory policies and practices. This article recalls the main theoretical prospects that put specific emphasis on family; identifies some “ideological traps” that frequently influence family immigration policies and practices; then develops some considerations about the advantages and disadvantages of family migration for both the sending and the receiving countries; finally, it devotes a specific analysis to the family reunification issue, describing how this right is ruled by the EU legislation. In the conclusion, the Author observes that, notwithstanding the fact that family constitutes a crucial actor in the process of human mobility, both the legislation and the receiving societies’ expectations concerning migration continues to be founded on an individualistic conception. Among other consequences of this asymmetry, there is the fact that family reunion is not always the best solution if the well-being of all family members and the life chances of migrants’ offspring are taken into account. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue On the Move: Human Migration Past, Present and Future)
227 KiB  
Article
Turbulent Trajectories: African Migrants on Their Way to the European Union
by Joris Schapendonk
Societies 2012, 2(2), 27-41; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc2020027 - 17 Apr 2012
Cited by 88 | Viewed by 10518
Abstract
Sub-Saharan African migration towards the European Union (EU) belongs to one of the most stigmatized forms of migration of the 21st century. It is strongly characterized by EU’s restrictive migration policies. As a consequence, migrants who are aspiring to reach the EU [...] Read more.
Sub-Saharan African migration towards the European Union (EU) belongs to one of the most stigmatized forms of migration of the 21st century. It is strongly characterized by EU’s restrictive migration policies. As a consequence, migrants who are aspiring to reach the EU often undertake fragmented and dangerous journeys to the North. This contribution attempts to gain more empirical insights into these migratory journeys. It is based on a ‘trajectory ethnography’ that combines in-depth interviews with sub-Saharan Africans, who are waiting in Morocco and Turkey to enter the EU, with a longitudinal strategy to follow some of these respondents over longer periods of time. With this longitudinal element I was in particular able to grasp expected steps and unexpected turns in individual migration trajectories. By discussing three main components (the motivation, facilitation and velocity) of journeys, this contribution puts into perspective the unidirectional and often frictionless metaphors of migration—as if migrants move like ‘flows’ and ‘waves’. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue On the Move: Human Migration Past, Present and Future)
209 KiB  
Article
Privileged Mobility in an Age of Globality
by Sheila Croucher
Societies 2012, 2(1), 1-13; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc2010001 - 05 Mar 2012
Cited by 124 | Viewed by 12536
Abstract
By 2050, the world’s population of international migrants is estimated to top 400 million. A small but growing number of those migrants are leaving well-developed, affluent countries best known for receiving immigrants to settle in less well-developed countries better known for sending migrants. [...] Read more.
By 2050, the world’s population of international migrants is estimated to top 400 million. A small but growing number of those migrants are leaving well-developed, affluent countries best known for receiving immigrants to settle in less well-developed countries better known for sending migrants. These migrants of relative privilege, many of them retirees, are motivated primarily by a desire to enhance their quality of life. Although this migratory flow receives much less attention than more familiar, and reverse, movements of laborers or refugees, its implications for the destination sites, sites of origin, and study of international migration generally are significant. This article will examine the contemporary border crossing of privileged migrants, the economic, political and cultural stakes for the countries and individuals involved, and the implications of incorporating privileged mobility into the study of global migration and transnationalism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue On the Move: Human Migration Past, Present and Future)

Review

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286 KiB  
Review
Theoretical and Methodological Approaches to Understanding Human Migration Patterns and their Utility in Forensic Human Identification Cases
by Anastasia Holobinko
Societies 2012, 2(2), 42-62; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc2020042 - 19 Jun 2012
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 7054
Abstract
Human migration patterns are of interest to scientists representing many fields. Theories have been posited to explain modern human evolutionary expansion, the diversity of human culture, and the motivational factors underlying an individual or group decision to migrate. Although the research question and [...] Read more.
Human migration patterns are of interest to scientists representing many fields. Theories have been posited to explain modern human evolutionary expansion, the diversity of human culture, and the motivational factors underlying an individual or group decision to migrate. Although the research question and subsequent approach may vary between disciplines, one thread is ubiquitous throughout most migration studies: why do humans migrate and what is the result of such an event? While the determination of individual attributes such as age, sex, and ancestry is often integral to migration studies, the positive identification of human remains is usually irrelevant. However, the positive identification of a deceased is paramount to a forensic investigation in which human remains have been recovered and must be identified. What role, if any, might the study of human movement patterns play in the interpretation of evidence associated with unidentified human remains? Due to increasing global mobility in the world's populations, it is not inconceivable that an individual might die far away from his or her home. If positive identification cannot immediately be made, investigators may consider various theories as to how or why a deceased ended up in a particular geographic location. While scientific evidence influences the direction of forensic investigations, qualitative evaluation can be an important component of evidence interpretation. This review explores several modern human migration theories and the methodologies utilized to identify evidence of human migratory movement before addressing the practical application of migration theory to forensic cases requiring the identification of human remains. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue On the Move: Human Migration Past, Present and Future)
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