5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

The term “expatriate” calls to mind someone who is white, originates from a Western country, and is employed by a multinational corporation which posts them to different regional offices for extended stints. However, there are more and more highly mobile, skilled professionals who do not fit this mould. These "new expatriates" may have very different experiences in the global city as a result of their multifaceted identities and motivations. A non-white or non-Western identity could potentially make it difficult for these new expatriates to gain respect and recognition of their class status in some parts of the world, so they may seek global cities where they can experience a degree of cultural familiarity or social acceptance. At the same time, new expatriates may no longer be linked to a multinational corporation and their international mobility could be motivated by a different set of goals and preferences. Their personal, subjective rankings of global cities may thus be very different from that of the older category of expatriates. This panel explores this new breed of expatriates and their lived experiences in old and emerging global cities, shedding light on what draws these mobile migrants to particular parts of the world. Rather than flattening the image of the expatriate to a single dimension, this panel brings together papers that consider how race, gender, nationality and religion shape the migratory lives of a new breed of expatriates in different global cities, highlighting the diversity that exists within the category of global city as well.