Call for Papers for the International Conference:

“Researching Migration in Europe – empirical research, theoretical and methodological challenges”

European Sociological Association (ESA) Research Network on Migration (in constitution)
19-22 September 2010, Strobl/Salzburg, Austria

Coordinators:
Elisabeth Scheibelhofer, Department of Sociology, University of Vienna, Austria
Magdalena Nowicka, Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich, Germany

This conference will be an opportunity to show new directions in research on migration to and within Europe. One of the challenges in this research field is to adequately capture the diversity of movements and movers in Europe in terms of their differential immigration statuses and restrictions of rights, divergent labor market experiences, discrete gender and age profiles, patterns of spatial distribution and the interplay of these factors as well as their impact on societies in Europe. This conference wants to address also related questions, such as: What is novel about the recent migration in Europe? Is this basically a cross-European phenomenon or is it global in character? What are the structural conditions that shape migration in different European societies? What are the contingencies of migrants’ incorporation in Europe? Does migration research need new ways of conceptualizing effects of migratory movements in Europe? What are the methodological challenges of researching cross-border movements and lives of people in Europe (in comparison with other parts of the world)? Are there blind spots of migration research?
One venue might also be to address the changes in migration that came about since the EU enlargement in 2004: Some countries of “Western” Europe experienced large-scale immigration from the “new” EU member states. The impact on economies and societies of involved countries, both sending and receiving migrants, is so great that it might be justified speaking of a new migration system in Europe. In some aspects, however, East-West migration resembles earlier guest worker and postcolonial immigration in Europe. Also, Europe is continuously and increasingly a destination for immigrants from outside of the EU. A contrast between the freedom of movement within and consolidation and sharpening of immigration control towards the outside of the EU shapes the contemporary European space.
We invite submissions of papers representing qualitative and/or quantitative perspective that focus on theoretical, methodological and empirical aspects of research on migration in Europe and fit broadly into the following thematic areas:

-European migration policies and patterns of migration to and from Europe
-Migration and diversity of European societies
-Proliferation of forms of migration (from permanent to commuting migration)
-European migration regime(s)
-Personal trajectories of migrants and free movers
-East-West migration before and after 2004, in particular in comparative perspective
-Societal spaces across borders

These thematic areas are illustrative. We invite all of you who are engaged in this kind of research and scholarship to submit papers to us to share ideas, experiences and findings.
It is also the aim of this conference to establish a Research Network on Migration within ESA. All interested migration researchers are invited to participate in founding such a Research Network (ESA-membership is preferable in this case). During the conference the program, aims and modes of operation of such a Network will be agreed upon.
Abstracts (250-500 words) including short biographical information (including whether you are an ESA-member) on the author should be submitted electronically to both coordinators:
elisabeth.scheibelhofer@univie.ac.at and magdalena.nowicka@soziologie.uni-muenchen.de.

Important dates:
30.01.2010 - Deadline for abstract submission
28.02.2010 - Notification of acceptance of abstracts
30.08.2010 - Deadline for sending full written papers to the coordinators