Migration and Mobility: Views from Past and Present

Cross-Faculty postgraduate and early career researcher workshop

The impacts of migration and mobility are some of contemporary society’s most pressing topics. This cutting edge workshop will bring together researchers from different disciplines to explore how we can better understand the current historical moment in which discussions and debates surrounding migration appear so important. The event will explore the following themes in-depth: the lived experiences of migrants in different parts of the globe and at different moments in history; the complex links between migration and empire; and contemporary experiences of migration.

We are pleased to announce that Professor Louise Ryan of the University of Sheffield will be joining us. Professor Ryan has extensive research expertise in the area of migration, social networks, gender and religion which she will draw on in her session ‘A funny feeling of deja vu: learning lessons from migration
history’:

In the current context of Brexit, changing migration regimes, and uncertainty about migrants’ rights to remain in the UK, it is tempting to think that we are in completely unprecedented times.

Indeed, we are facing particular challenges today, but nonetheless we can still learn from the past. The history of migration to and from the UK has been long and varied. The construction of migrants as ‘aliens’ threatening the British way of life is nothing new. In this presentation, Professor Louise Ryan will consider what social scientists can learn by adopting an historical lens to analyse migration. Focusing on key moments in the twentieth century, she will examine how the problematisation of migrants as ‘aliens’ was
underpinned by particular economic, political and social processes within British society. Far from being isolated historical events, we can observe repeated patterns over time – though the leading characters may change.

The workshop will be interactive and enable attendees to engage with important discussions surrounding migration across disciplinary boundaries. We invite postgraduates, early career researchers and academics at any stage of their career with an interest in migration and mobility to register.

This conference is free to attend. Refreshments and lunch will be provided.