The Sociology of Refugee Migration

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Date

2018

Authors

FitzGerald, David
Arar, Rawan

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Annual Review of Sociology

Abstract

Theorization in the sociology of migration and the field of refugee studies has been retarded by a path-dependent division that we argue should be broken down by greater mutual engagement. Excavating the construction of the refugee category reveals how unwarranted assumptions shape contemporary disputes about the scale of refugee crises, appropriate policy responses, and suitable research tools. Empirical studies of how violence interacts with economic and other factors shaping mobility offer lessons for both fields. Adapting existing theories that may not appear immediately applicable, such as household economy approaches, helps explain refugees’ decision-making processes. At a macro level, world systems theory sheds light on the interactive policies around refugees across states of origin, mass hosting, asylum, transit, and resettlement. Finally, focusing on the integration of refugees in the Global South reveals a pattern that poses major challenges to theories of assimilation and citizenship developed in settler states of the Global North.

Description

Posted with permission from the Annual Review of Sociology, Volume 44:387-406 by Annual Reviews, http://www.annualreviews.org.

Keywords

Asylum, Citizenship, Integration, Migration, Refugee, Violence

Citation

FitzGerald, D. S., & Arar, R. (2018). The Sociology of Refugee Migration. Annual review of sociology 44(1 ), 387–406. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-073117-041204