Routledge Contemporary European Emigration: Situating Integration in New Destinations (Routledge Studies in Development, Mobilities and Migration)

At a time when European unity is politically challenged by the question of immigration and integration, it is easy to overlook the fact that there are significant numbers of Europeans leaving the continent. Academically, little is known about why Europeans leave the continent, how they chose their destination, and how they experience their migrant life. Drawing on the lived experiences of contemporary European emigrants from a range of different countries, this book sheds light on how global economic, political and social transformations spur new forms of migration and mobility experiences. Contemporary European Emigration explores how Europeans experience economic, cultural or social integration, and the power relations which play out between them and their hosts. By delving through the lenses of national and racial identity, gender, age, and profession, this book provides enticing insights into how Europeans see themselves in the world. By shifting our focus to migrants leaving Europe and observing the emerging challenges to European superiority as they play out in the microlevel of people’s everyday lives, this book provides a nuanced understanding of contemporary migration. Researchers within Migration Studies and European Studies will find this book an important addition to the literature. Review "This innovative collection turns ‘integration’ on its head through attention to the contemporary migration of Europeans across the world. It analyses underexplored experiences and relationships, from China to Mozambique, and argues that, paradoxically, through decontextualizing the concept of integration, it can be reclaimed. A must read." – Bridget Anderson, Professor of Migration, Mobilities and Citizenship, Director of Migration Mobilities Bristol (MMB), Bristol University "At a time when international migration generally receives much public and academic attention, European out-migration, especially to non-European countries, has been largely ignored, a gap that Suter (Malmö Univ., Sweden) and Åkesson (Univ. of Gothenberg, Sweden) seek to close with this edited volume. Individual chapters, written mainly by anthropologists, focus on European emigration to countries including Angola and Mozambique, Japan and Singapore, China, Canada, Morocco, and the Persian Gulf states. Contributors explore specific aspects of emigrants’ experiences, including economic, social, and cultural integration into the new milieu; the impact of emigration on national, ethnic, racial, religious, gender, age, and professional identities; and the social, cultural, economic, and political relations that develop between the emigrants and their hosts. Even though national boundaries have been crossed, boundary drawing on other dimensions is a constant preoccupation. Migrations from former colonial powers to former colonies are seen as raising particular issues of hegemony and hybridity. Overall, the case studies explore a wide variety of individual situations that play out in interesting, informative ways, belying the stereotypical image of privileged and consciously insulated expatriates." -M. F. Farrell, emeritus, Ripon College About the Author Brigitte Suter is senior researcher and lecturer in International Migration and Ethnic Relations at the Malmö Institute for Studies of Migration, Diversity and Welfare (MIM) at Malmö University in Sweden. She has been researching a wide range of migration-related topics and has profound experience in qualitative, interpretative research methods. Her research interests include (im)mobility, social networks, the transformative potential of migration, ethnography, the mobility of highly skilled migrants in the global economy, as well as the role of norms and values in the field of migration and integration. Her latest publications include ‘Migration as Adventure: Swedish Corporate Families’ Experience of Liminality in Shanghai’, Journal of Transient Migration, 2019