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Investigating the Consequences of Migration for Migrants, with Attention to Pre-Migration Data
Investigating the Consequences of Migration for Migrants, with Attention to Pre-Migration Data
Abstract Submissions Closed
Friday, 26 February 2021: 09:00-10:30
Location:
RC31 Sociology of Migration (host committee)
Language: English
Session Type: Oral
Research on migrants sometimes neglects key aspects of their pre-migration lives ("destination-country bias"). This is especially true of research that uses survey data: especially for nationally-bounded omnibus survey projects, all the data are collected after the individual has arrived in the destination country. If we want to know how migration changes the lives of the migrants, we need to have good information on their lives prior to migration. This session will feature papers that have made concerted efforts to integrate information/data of that sort; papers that emphasise a methodological contribution along these lines will have priority, though key substantive findings will also be important. Retrospective data (especially in a qualitative mode) might be useful for this purpose, but researchers might also consider its limitations. For quantitative research, there is a big challenge: without good data on key aspects of pre-migration situations, it might be difficult to identify consequences of migration particularly if one considers the process of selection into migration as a key component of statistical adjustment. Another angle is the almost complete lack of panel data that includes waves pertaining to the pre-migration period.
Session Organizer: