2018 Symposium
Beyond Economic Contribution: Migrant Identities, Working Lives and Social Embeddedness
This symposium is organised by the Migration, Inter-Connectivity and Regional Development (MICaRD) research network. It will be take place at the University of Lincoln – hosted jointly by the Lincoln International Business School and Lincoln School of Geography – and is funded by the Regional Studies Association.
The symposium aims to foreground migrant perspectives and experiences, and situate these within contemporary debates on migration and the socio-political context of Brexit Britain as well as the broader debates on migration across Europe. Current political, media and scholarly debates on migration overwhelmingly revolve around the quantifiable economic contribution of migrant workers and less around migrant subjectivities, working lives, wellbeing and contribution to local communities.
Through this symposium, we seek to give greater visibility to migrant experiences. Beyond dominant neoliberal discourses, migrants’ contributions go past the economic into the social and local community spheres, aspects that are important for community cohesion but often under-valued in mainstream debates. Migrant lives and identities are shaped and affected – enabled as well as constrained – by spatial contexts and social relationships as well as place-based socio-economic and political structures.
Conference jointly sponsored by:
When: 25th – 27th April 2018
Venue:
Executive Development Centre, David Chiddick Building
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Prof. Anne Green (University of Birmingham)
Prof. Louise Ryan (University of Sheffield)
Dr. Philomena de Lima (University of the Highlands and Islands)
The conference themes include:
- Migrant identities and working lives
- Entrepreneurial activities of migrants
- Mobilities and career trajectories
- Gendered and racialised experiences of migrant workers
- Social embeddedness, spatiality and place
- Conducting fieldwork on migrants in rural areas
The Book of Abstracts can be found here
There will also be a policy-focused panel discussion ‘Debating Migration Policy’ with Paul Drury (Lincolnshire County Council), David Fannin (Chief Executive of Lincolnshire Community and Volunteers Service) & Agnieszka Rydzik (University of Lincoln) and Simon Telfer (HR Director at Branston Potatoes). The programme of the panel is available here
Call for Papers
We invite theoretical, empirical and methodological contributions that stretch the focus beyond the economic contribution of migrants, and explore how migrants strive to become embedded in the local environment and play an active role in their workplaces and communities.
Authors of papers selected for presentation will be offered the opportunity to contribute to a special issue.
Part of the event will be dedicated to future planning for MICaRD (looking at opportunities for research collaboration, funding and edited publications).
Paper Submission Guidelines
- Call for papers can be accessed here
- Call for papers is NOW CLOSED
- If you are not presenting but would like to attend our event, you are very welcome to come and participate. To register, follow the registration link.
MICaRD Research Network Founders
Past MICaRD Events
3-6 April 2016 – Launch event and special panel session at Regional Studies Association Conference, Graz, Austria
17-18 May 2016 – Inaugural dinner and workshop ‘Exploring and identifying barriers to migrants’ opportunities in the labour market’ organised in association with the Trans-Atlantic Rural Research Network and hosted by Queen’s University Belfast.
18-21 September 2016 – ‘Contemporary Migration in Changing World: New Perspectives and Challenges’ International Conference hosted by the University of Belgrade, Serbia.
11-12 September 2017 – A two-day workshop on “ Out-migration and circular migration: impacts on regions and communities”, University of Warsaw, Poland.