How are images of destinations formed among potential migrants? This is
an old question that remains enigmatic and which requires new answers in
light of changing contexts and theoretical advances. In the 1950s,
analysts explained rural-urban migration in Africa with reference to
'the bright lights of the city'. Half a century later, coverage of
African boat migration to Europe was replete with references to dreams
of 'El Dorado'. There is a fine line between, on the one hand, embracing
simplistic and paternalistic portrayals, and on the other hand,
rejecting the power of cultural representations. Migration imaginaries
are produced in complex social environments where different influences
reinforce, complement, and often contradict each other. Survey research
has found that in several African countries more than a third of the
adult population expresses a wish to emigrate. Such results attest to
the potency of migration imaginaries and inspire questions about how
they might be understood. Ethnographic research in Africa has examined
migration imaginaries with a variety of theoretical concepts, including
cosmologies (Belloni), aspirations (Carling), disease (Horst), and
consumption (Newell). European governments have increasingly sought to
affect migration imaginaries as a component of migration management,
devising campaigns to discourage Africans from setting out towards
Europe. This panel invites papers that explore migration imaginaries
related to any aspect of African migrations, including rural-urban
migration, internal displacement, and international migration within or
beyond the continent. In particular papers are encouraged to address the
mechanisms through which migration imaginaries are formed.
The deadline for submission of abstracts is
19 January 2017. All proposals must be made via the online form. Follow the 'propose a paper' link on the panel page:
bit.ly/afrmig2017.
You will be asked to provide the title of your paper, a short abstract (max 300 characters including spaces), and a long abstract (max 250 words) in either English or French.
Authors will be notified of the selection process by 29 January. For additional information about the conference, see
www.ecas2017.ch.
Panel Convenor:
Jørgen Carling