Conceptualizing Suffering Among Migrant Returnees
Conceptualizing Suffering Among Migrant Returnees
Abstract Submissions Closed
RC31 Sociology of Migration (host committee)
Language: English
This session attempts to reflect on the area of knowledge potentially covered by the combination of two bodies of literatures, i.e. literature on returning migration, and on suffering. International migrants who migrated since the 1980s to the United States or any other economically developed societies are returning to their home countries due to their decisión to retire in their country, as a result of deportation, or simply because they cannot find a life path in the destination country. Either way, we can observe an international cohort of returnees who are believed to eventually readjust.
On the other hand, the concept of suffering (Sayad, 2004) seems to frequently represent the experience of migrants when they live abroad (e.g. Oboler, 2006). Suffering in other instances, e.g. environmental suffering (Auyero and Swistun, 2008) is noted as part and parcel of a social process rarely taken into account, but help researchers account for decisions individuals make.
Putting together recent research on migrant returnees and suffering as migrants encounter adjustment in their homeland difficult, appears as a productive line of research. Thus, this session will encourage to the theoretical development and the elaboration of research questions on suffering in the context of international migrations. Papers on different regions of the world and returnees’ live dimensions are welcome.
Session Organizers: