Sum-up of week 1

Hi everyone! Congratulations! You have made it to the end of the first week of the course. Here we sum up what we have learned during the week.

In week 1 we looked at migration as a global phenomenon. We underlined that the global dimension is not simply a characteristic of our contemporary world but one that has existed throughout history. In particular, we considered how the rise of mass international migration in the nineteenth century was not limited to transatlantic migration, but was also taking place in other parts of the world. We also underlined how the different migration flows during the period were similarly linked to the reorganization of capitalist production. Again, this was a process that was not just limited to Europe and North America.

Next we presented the most basic approach to explaining migration, in other words the idea of push and pull factors. While push and pull factors help us to start thinking about migration between origin and destination countries, these factors are actually more complicated than on first sight and are themselves shaped by different factors. Drawing on Philip Martin’s hypothesis, we also suggested that the push and pull of migration has come into closer contact as the result of three major changes in communication, transport and fundamental rights.

In week 2, we will look more closely at economic theories of migration that explain the reasons for migration. We will also examine how migration continues thanks to the importance of networks and the role of institutions. Finally, through our first expert interview, we will also the question of return migration and migration cycles.