Migrations, Migrations, transnationalism and transnationalism and the locus of researchthe locus of research
Multi-locality and the shift Multi-locality and the shift from “sites” to “fields”from “sites” to “fields”
Giulia SINATTI
Università Milano-Bicocca
Goldsmiths College
“Nuevos retos del transnacionalismo en el estudio de las migraciones”
Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona
14-15 Febrero 2008
Transnationalism: a Transnationalism: a “methodological threat”“methodological threat”
for research ?for research ?1. InnovationsInnovations of transnational theory
2. From the study of sitessites to the study
of fieldsfields
3. Implications for research practiceresearch practice
1. Innovations 1. Innovations of transnational of transnational
theorytheory
Beyond transnationalism: a world of flowsflows …
once distant places are increasingly connectedconnected
A new interest within A new interest within the social sciences …the social sciences …DeterritorialisationDeterritorialisation (Appadurai)
DisembeddingDisembedding (Giddens)Time-space Time-space
compressioncompression (Harvey)
… in migration studies … migrations are conceived as increasingly connectedconnected to the homelandhomeland (Glick Schiller, Basch, Szanton Blanc 1992)
transnational occupations and activities require regularregular cross-border social contacts, sustainedsustained over time (Portes et al. 1999)
migrant transnationalism is framed by StatesStates, their boundaries and regulations
Innovative features of the transnational approach
Migrants are simultaneously conceived as imim-migrantsmigrants as well as ee-migrantsmigrants
Broader analytical framework includes:sendingsending, transittransit and receivingreceiving contexts and the circulation of not only peoplepeople, but also ideasideas, symbolssymbols and goodsgoods along the same circuits
2. The locus of 2. The locus of research: research:
from ‘sites’ from ‘sites’ to ‘fields’to ‘fields’
From sitessites to fieldsfields
Scholarly focus breaks away from geographic constraintsgeographic constraints and becomes disperseddispersed in time and space:
social space of post-modernism (Rouse); transnational social fields (Glick-Schiller); cultural sites (Olwig); transnational social space (Faist, Pries)
Researching fieldsfields, rather than sitessites …
… requires simultaneous attention for phenomena taking place in various localities and is traditionally associated with multi-sited multi-sited fieldworkfieldwork, conducted at both ends of the migration trail
TheorisingTheorising multi-sited research
Attention for relationships withinwithin as well as betweenbetween individual sites
Revival of comparativecomparative committment within migration research
EthnographyEthnography goes transnational!
Manchester Manchester SchoolSchool: the Rhodesian Copperbelt
Chicago Chicago SchoolSchool: urban sociology
Louis Wirth, The GhettoLouis Wirth, The Ghetto
Nels Anderson, The HoboNels Anderson, The Hobo
Ethnography of the Ethnography of the transnationaltransnational
3. Practicing 3. Practicing multi-sited multi-sited researchresearch
ConstructingConstructing a multi-sited field
Follow the actorsactors (focus on people)
Follow the thingthing (focus on objects)
Follow the metaphormetaphor (focus on ideas)
Study the technologytechnology
Study a placeplace (of passage)
Managing research practicepractice
ChoiceChoice of sites
Finding a balancebalance between sites
Being a mobile researchermobile researcher
Negotiating field accessfield access
Differing cultural competencecultural competence
Piecing togetherPiecing together different ethnographies