East to West Migration

Russian Migrants in Western Europe
1. Auflage 2005
ISBN: 978-0-7546-4170-4
Verlag: Taylor & Francis

Buch, Englisch, 252 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 531 g

Reihe: Research in Migration and Ethnic Relations Series

The collapse of the communist regimes in Eastern Europe brought widespread fear of a 'tidal wave' of immigrants from the East into Western Europe. Quite apart from the social and political importance, East-West migration also poses a challenge to established theories of migration, as in most cases the migrant flow cannot be categorised as either refugee movement or a labour migration. Indeed much of the trans-border movement is not officially recognised, as many migrants are temporary, commuting, 'tourists' or illegal, and remain invisible to the authorities. This book focuses on Russian migration into Western Europe following the break-up of the Soviet Union. Helen Kopnina explores the concept of 'community' through an examination of the lives of Russian migrants in two major European cities, London and Amsterdam. In both cases Kopnina finds an 'invisible community', inadequately defined in existing literature. Arguing that Russian migrants are highly diverse, both socially and in terms of their views and adaptation strategies, Kopnina uncovers a community divided by mutual antagonisms, prompting many to reject the idea of belonging to a community at all. Based on extensive interviews, this fascinating and unique ethnographic account of the 'new migration' challenges the underlying assumptions of traditional migration studies and post-modern theories. It provides a powerful critique for the study of new migrant groups in Western Europe and the wider process of European identity formation.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Kopnina, Helen

Fachgebiete

• Geowissenschaften Geographie | Raumplanung Humangeographie
• Sozialwissenschaften Ethnologie | Volkskunde Volkskunde Minderheiten, Interkulturelle & Multikulturelle Fragen
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Soziologie von Migranten und Minderheiten
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Mentalitäts- und Sozialgeschichte
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziologie Allgemein

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Contents: Introduction; Migration; London and Amsterdam: The Tale of Two Cities; Community; Subcommunities and Subcultures; Social Networks and Informal Economic Activity; Cultural Discourses; Ethnicity and Identity; Conclusions; Index.

Über Autor(innen)

Helen Kopnina is Lecturer of Tourism at The School of Economics, Haarlem College, and Lecturer of Intercultural Communication and member of the lectorate at Fashion Institute, Amsterdam, both in The Netherlands.