Migrations of theory, method and practice: a reflection on themes in migration studies (Review article)

In this review article, I offer some reflection on three themes in migration research, namely, the categorisation and quantification of migration, the role of trauma and distress in such categorisation, and the feminisation of migration. I was prompted to explore these three themes after reading a r...

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Main Author: Ingrid Palmary
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Department of Psychology, Stellenbosch University 2009-01-01
Series:Psychology in Society
Online Access:http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1015-60462009000200004
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author Ingrid Palmary
author_facet Ingrid Palmary
author_sort Ingrid Palmary
collection DOAJ
description In this review article, I offer some reflection on three themes in migration research, namely, the categorisation and quantification of migration, the role of trauma and distress in such categorisation, and the feminisation of migration. I was prompted to explore these three themes after reading a recent publication on migration in southern Africa (edited by Kok, Gelderblom, Oucho and Van Zyl, 2006). In this paper I raise these as three areas that appear to be determining the boundaries of the discipline of migration studies in ways that raise familiar concerns about representation, claims to objectivity and the perpetuation of inequalities. Although these are by no means new debates in the social sciences, they are ones that appear to have been excluded from migration studies in southern Africa with worrying implications for the role that the discipline can play in the repressive management of migration.
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spelling doaj-art-2f51bd6f5d8e4a22af565e29a10f90e32025-08-20T03:58:06ZengDepartment of Psychology, Stellenbosch UniversityPsychology in Society1015-60462009-01-01375566Migrations of theory, method and practice: a reflection on themes in migration studies (Review article)Ingrid PalmaryIn this review article, I offer some reflection on three themes in migration research, namely, the categorisation and quantification of migration, the role of trauma and distress in such categorisation, and the feminisation of migration. I was prompted to explore these three themes after reading a recent publication on migration in southern Africa (edited by Kok, Gelderblom, Oucho and Van Zyl, 2006). In this paper I raise these as three areas that appear to be determining the boundaries of the discipline of migration studies in ways that raise familiar concerns about representation, claims to objectivity and the perpetuation of inequalities. Although these are by no means new debates in the social sciences, they are ones that appear to have been excluded from migration studies in southern Africa with worrying implications for the role that the discipline can play in the repressive management of migration.http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1015-60462009000200004
spellingShingle Ingrid Palmary
Migrations of theory, method and practice: a reflection on themes in migration studies (Review article)
Psychology in Society
title Migrations of theory, method and practice: a reflection on themes in migration studies (Review article)
title_full Migrations of theory, method and practice: a reflection on themes in migration studies (Review article)
title_fullStr Migrations of theory, method and practice: a reflection on themes in migration studies (Review article)
title_full_unstemmed Migrations of theory, method and practice: a reflection on themes in migration studies (Review article)
title_short Migrations of theory, method and practice: a reflection on themes in migration studies (Review article)
title_sort migrations of theory method and practice a reflection on themes in migration studies review article
url http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1015-60462009000200004
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