300133 Lehrforschung: Diaspora & Development (Phase III) (LEH) (WiSe 2007/2008)

The Lehrforschung ¿Diasporas and Development¿ explores the role of various transstate social formations in what is commonly called development cooperation. We look at the activities and consequences of migrant grassroots associations in both industrial and developing countries. We analyze the ways and practices through which different kinds of migrant associations transfer resources in cross-border social spaces between sending and receiving regions. More specifically, we focus on what kind of resources are transferred, the mechanisms of transaction, and some of the consequences of resource flows. Particular emphasis rests on financial remittances, knowledge flows and so-called social remittances. We also examine the forms of political regulation of mobility. The goal of this Lehrforschung is to achieve a better understanding of the role of migrant associations in cross-border processes in the respective societies. In the summer semester we evaluate the field research findings from the research undertaken in Ghana from July until October 2007.

Bibliography

• Levitt, Peggy and Ninna Nyberg-Sørensen, 2004, The Transnational Turn in Migration Studies, Global Migration Perspectives No. 6. Geneva: Global Commission on International Migration (GCIM), http://www.gcim.org