Country Of Settlement Research Articles

LAND REFORM POLICY FORMULATION IN SOUTH AFRICA AND ZIMBABWE: IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT

Intense ideological and political standoffs persist over land and agrarian reform in former settler countries where land access, ownership, and utilisation wield enormous socio-economic and political implications. Focusing on South Africa (SA) and Zimbabwe, this article contributes to the ongoing debate on land reform. Drawing on qualitative secondary literature review and abstraction, this article identifies land reform policy evolution in SA and Zimbabwe and explores the implications of land reform policy on socio-economic and political development. The article shows that since colonial times, asymmetrical land access, ownership, utilisation, and widespread land expropriation by settlers have been the major source of political instability, landlessness, rural poverty, high population densities, and poor land management in SA and Zimbabwe. The article argues for the need for theoretically and conceptually mature land reform debates located within the broad framework of trajectories of transformation, not only economic but also structural.

Деякі регіональні особливості вимушеної міграції з України: столиця та інші регіони.

The forced migration of Ukrainians within the country and abroad has become a characteristic feature of the era of full-scale invasion. It saved the lives and health of many people, as a decrease in population density in the areas most affected by the hostilities leads to a decrease in human losses. Despite the great research interest in the topic of forced migration, some aspects of it still remain poorly understood, in particular, it is important to study the peculiarities of forced migration at the localities level, at least in large cities. The purpose of this article is to single out the category of forced migrants who lived in Kyiv before the full-scale invasion by the aggressor country and to identify the peculiarities of staying abroad and the attitudes of this group. To achieve this goal, general scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, and induction were used. Empirical data were collected using the method of sample surveys. The method of grouping was used to distinguish Kyiv residents from the general population of respondents, and the method of comparison was used to identify the peculiarities of their forced migration abroad. The study found that Kyiv residents are more likely to settle abroad in the capitals of their destination countries. Among them, there are more unmarried and childless individuals, which creates prerequisites for socio-economic integration outside the country. Also, people from the capital were less likely to have relatives abroad at the time of the full-scale invasion, which is likely due to their low level of participation in external labor migration in the previous period. Migrants from the capital proved to be better integrated in the countries of settlement, which is reflected in their proficiency in the local language, employment in the local labor market, and higher levels of financial well-being. At the same time, they retain stronger ties to Ukraine. Residents of Kyiv region are similar to Kyiv residents in some respects, while in others they are similar to residents of other regions. The study also revealed cases where the population of Kyiv region exhibited characteristics intermediate between Kyiv and other regions. The development of effective strategies for migration management, socio-economic development of the country during the war and post-war revival needs to take into account regional specifics.

Technology oriented, service intensive, transnational entrepreneurs' international target market strategies

This instrumental case study's objective is to understand the target market strategies of technology oriented, service intensive, transnational entrepreneurs (TEs). Existing studies featuring the merits of ‘concentration versus spreading’ target market strategies provide mixed findings, typically involving firms with product oriented as opposed to service intensive business models. Furthermore, prior research focuses on export-oriented owner-managers as opposed to TEs who have capabilities associated with being socially embedded across different countries. Interview data features the practices of 15 TEs, whose businesses involved information and knowledge-based solutions. Specifically, first generation UK-based South Asian immigrant entrepreneurs who are socially embedded in both their country of origin and country of settlement. Unique insights contribute to a microfoundational cultural perspective of business-to-business (B2B) practices, regarding a new generation of TEs, being relatively highly educated, experienced, and technologically oriented. New evidence builds on dated prior studies often featuring lower skilled and less experienced immigrant entrepreneurs in low-tech, service-oriented sectors. The choice of TEs' target market strategy is not necessarily binary in nature, whereby the importance of decision-makers possessing the ability to pivot strategies is evidenced. To varying degrees, certain TEs employ an ambidextrous approach, concentrating on key markets and entering/exiting others perceived as peripheral.

Binational Identities and Experiences of Discrimination in the Context of Migration: The Role of Transnational Family Ties and Practices

ABSTRACT Previous research suggests that migrants develop binational identities – a sense of belonging to both their country of origin and of settlement. These identities, in turn, are determined by the way they are treated by the majority population of the receiving society. This article aims to contribute nuance to these understandings of binational identities and experiences of origin-based discrimination in migrants by bringing in a further perspective: transnationalism. In particular, we suggest that transnational family ties and practices increase migrants’ sense of belonging to their country of origin and additionally moderate the impact of origin-based discrimination on the sense of belonging to the country of origin and settlement. We test these hypotheses based on a representative survey among the migrant population in Germany. While findings confirm the hypothesis regarding a direct relationship between transnational family ties and practices and sense of belonging, the moderation hypothesis was not confirmed. Instead, by tendency the relationship is more pronounced among participants without transnational family ties and practices. Findings highlight the importance of the transnational perspective to further contextualize the relationship of origin-based discrimination to binational identities among migrants, thus to investigate the role of social context in binational identity formation.

Unruly diaspora action as decolonization: Abjection and activism among Zimbabweans in London

AbstractIn an era where migration and asylum are becoming more securitized, this article argues that unruly action by asylum seekers contributes to decolonization through challenging stratified citizenship and hierarchical immigration laws. I argue through a case of members of the Zimbabwe Vigil in London that diasporas challenge the system within their countries of settlement, enhancing self‐determination, and speak back to their homelands by demanding rights where excluded. The article draws from 20 key informant interviews conducted with members of the Zimbabwe Vigil in London and their partners on the ground in Harare, Zimbabwe. Through speaking back to the homeland, these individuals play a role in challenging coloniality within the homeland and thus are agents of decolonization. Ultimately, the article answers calls by scholars to expand and challenge the way we have conceptualized diaspora in addition to the literature on diaspora lobbying, engagement and decolonization.

Internalized political repression: Legacies of authoritarianism in the U.S.‐based Syrian diaspora during the Arab Spring

AbstractAuthoritarian regimes are known to repress the political activity of their diasporas transnationally by threatening harsh sanctions. But is this their only mode of transnational repression? This article builds on scholarship on social control to explore whether migrants bring internalized forms of political repression from their authoritarian home country to their democratic country of settlement—and if so, how it shapes their transnational political activity. In‐depth life‐history interviews with 29 U.S.‐citizen and permanent‐resident Syrian immigrants living in Los Angeles, California and Louisville, Kentucky reveal that for many U.S.‐based Syrians, demobilizing emotions, interpretive frames, and habits learned in Syria depressed their transnational political activity during the Arab Spring. Four internalized mechanisms of transnational political repression are conceptualized: learned helplessness, chronic fear of politics and the State, political trauma, and disciplined aversion to political expression. Leveraging comparisons between activists, demobilized activists, and non‐activists, this article demonstrates the connections between specific political socialization experiences, internalized political repression, and transnational political (in)activity. This article contributes to the growing literature on constraints and barriers to transnational mobilization, and to the debate over the role of pre‐migration political experience on immigrants' political participation.

Moving to find home: Emotion, imagination, and onward migration in the Iranian diaspora

Recent years have seen a growing number of studies on onward migration and specifically the motivations international migrants may have for leaving their first country of settlement. Many of these studies argue that onward migration occurs as migrants pursue opportunities to study, work and reunite with family members in different places. So far little research has been undertaken to understand how affect, emotion and imaginings of home also contribute to onward migration decision-making. This study aims to fill this lacuna in the research by focusing on the case of diasporic Iranians who initially moved to Sweden as refugees in the 1980s and 1990s, stayed for at least five years and then subsequently made the decision to move on to other parts of the Iranian diaspora. The findings of the study illustrate that the participants’ onward migration decisions may be related to their emotional encounters with places over time, and their evolving imaginings of what constitutes ideal homes in diasporic space. The study draws on rich material collected through multiple life history narrative interviews conducted with Swedish-Iranian migrants currently living in London, UK and Toronto, Canada.

Representing diversity in a liberal democracy: a case study of Australia

ABSTRACT Political representation of ethnic minorities in a liberal democratic system is a crucial step towards having the interests of ethnic minority groups heard. The under-representation of ethnic minorities in a political institution can exacerbate inequality between majority and minority populations and increase feelings of alienation among minority groups. As a country observing increasing ethnic diversity, Australia saw record-level ethnic minority candidates elected in the 2022 federal election. However, the shares of candidates and elected Members of Parliaments with ethnic minority backgrounds are still much lower than their relative shares in the population. In this regard, Australia has lagged behind other major settler countries. In this paper, we examine the political representation of ethnic minorities in Australia’s federal election. Drawing on data from the 2022 federal election and 2021 population census, we find a positive association between ethnic minority concentration and ethnic representation. However, for the two major parties, ethnic minority candidates are less likely to be in safe seats, even when the seat observes high ethnic minority concentration. Findings suggest that ethnic voting is evident but it is perhaps too early to celebrate higher levels of ethnic representation in Australian politics as political parties act as gatekeepers in safe seats.

A Critical Review of Social Exclusion and Inclusion among Immigrant and Refugee Women

International and global migration has risen over the last 50 years, and this trend is not expected to change. Immigrants and refugees make sociocultural and economic contributions to settlement states; however, this does not always mean that they feel included or welcomed. Social exclusion as a determinant of health reflects the social inequalities of some groups in a population over others. Immigrants and refugees are excluded from participating in social, economic, civic, and political domains within Western settlement countries; women experience greater social exclusion because of intersecting social identities and the interplay between sociostructural systems that create inequalities within host societies. To explore this phenomenon more fully, we conducted a critical review of how social exclusion and inclusion are experienced by women settling in Western contexts and the factors that impact daily life and health. Intersectionality was the lens with which we situated, examined, and analyzed the findings of the critical review to inform the development of a conceptual model. A five-stage process was used to comprehensively review the literature using six databases. Sixty papers were included in the review. The conceptual model highlighted two overarching themes that were further distinguished by micro-, meso-, and macro-level factors of exclusion and inclusion. The first theme considers the causes and outcomes of social exclusion represented as social determinants in the context of settlement and includes social environment, social supports, language ability, discrimination and racism, settlement and identity, income and employment, education and professional credentials, institutions, and government services. The second theme of social inclusionary processes consisted of social capital, social and civic participation, empowerment, and policies and settlement programs. The conceptual model advances knowledge of potential improvements required in formal settlement programs and the importance of informal programs that collectively may enhance inclusion for immigrant/refugee women and their families in Western contexts.

ETHNIC ECONOMY IN MILANO: THE CASE OF THE TURKISH IMMIGRANTS IN THE KEBAB SECTOR

Şelale BALAMBAR ERGAN Middle East Technical University/City and Regional Planning Department sbalambar90@gmail.com The concept of ethnic minority entrepreneurs in the economy represents the employment patterns in the particular country. Immigrants often experience discrimination and exclusion in the labor market and the outcome of this process is the high rate of unemployment. On the contrary, the ethnic economy could be regarded as a promising alternative to unemployment among immigrants. With this decision, immigrant entrepreneurs create their own business and support other immigrants if the business is successful. Currently, immigrant entrepreneurs are comprising big part of urban economies. Besides contributing to the economics of the countries, immigrant entrepreneurs also open the way for the integration of immigrants in the countries of settlement. By creating ethnic economy to overcome discrimination and exclusion, immigrants are making themselves attractive and integrated into the host society. In Italy, migrants from Turkey often are self-employed in the kebab fast-food restaurant sector. The ethnic economy plays a significant role to overcome discrimination and create integration channels. Data were obtained from interviews with migrants from Turkey who arrived in Milano in the years between 1988-2010. In Italy, many migrants from Turkey are immigrating for the purpose of work, study, and so on. In general, the kebab sector entrepreneurs migrated to Milan as asylum-seekers. Like any other post-industrial/low-skilled market, the kebab sector is easily accessible and attractive for many aspiring immigrant entrepreneurs. Thanks to the low demand for human capital and no requirement for special skills, therefore, Turkish immigrants preferred this sector. Turkish immigrants as ethnic entrepreneurs are open to new opportunities. The result of the study highlights the question of how did the Turkish immigrants manage their own insertion and incorporation into the host society.

Cultural and Linguistic Capital of Second-Generation Migrants in Cyprus and Sweden

Abstract The linguistic and cultural values of migrants, as well as their attitudes and behaviour, differ from those of the host society. All resources and values can be characterised as linguistic and cultural capital, which can provide migrants with certain advantages in their new country of settlement. A heritage language (HL) and knowledge about another culture are important components of this linguistic cultural capital. It is crucial for multi-generational families to maintain their HL and transmit the culture of their heritage to help individuals gain a better understanding of their own identity. This study aims to investigate the views, attitudes, and beliefs of second-generation migrants in Cyprus and Sweden in relation to their HL, linguistic and cultural capital, factors affecting HL use, maintenance, and development, as well as their future plans and aspirations regarding HL transmission. Narrative analysis of the semi-structured interviews revealed certain differences and similarities between the countries under investigation regarding the personal reflections of the participants and their perceptions regarding the role of family language policies, home literacy environments, child and parental agency, socio-emotional well-being, local context, and other internal and external factors influencing HL use, maintenance, and transmission. Storytelling proved to be an effective method of narrative inquiry, providing a deeper insight into the complex process of HL development and support. In addition, it offered participants an opportunity to reflect on their personality, language, and culture.

Beyond politics? German Jewish refugees and racism in South Africa

ABSTRACT Between 1933 and the outbreak of the Second World War, around 6,000 Jews fleeing Nazi Germany landed on South Africa’s shores, becoming the largest group of Jewish refugees on the African continent. This article by Shirli Gilbert, which is part of a larger project, explores how German Jewish refugees’ historical experiences of antisemitism informed their engagement with South African racism before and during the early years of apartheid. While a limited body of research has documented the refugees’ contributions to South African social and cultural life, as well as the close-knit communities they established upon arrival, we know very little about how the Nazi past informed their engagement with the post-war world’s quintessential racial state. Their responses to the racist policies of their country of settlement are not easily generalizable, but do reveal some distinctive patterns. Of the minority who concerned themselves with racism, few chose the route of radical political activism. Instead, they challenged the racist underpinnings of apartheid in the social and cultural spheres, as journalists, educators, social workers and intellectuals, or via legal political routes, through parliamentary opposition. Multiple factors shaped these responses, including most obviously the traumatic circumstances of the refugees’ migration, as well as gender, class and generational belonging.

Commonalities and Differences in the Experiences of Visible Minority Transnational Carer-Employees: A Qualitative Study.

This qualitative study explored the commonalities and differences among the experiences of visible minority Transnational Carer-Employees (TCEs) before and after COVID-19. TCEs are immigrants who live and work in the country of settlement while providing caregiving across international borders. Purposive and snowball sampling resulted in the participation of 29 TCEs of Pakistani, Syrian, African, and South American origin living in London, Ontario. Thematic analysis of the dataset using the ATLAS.ti software, Version 23.2.1., generated three themes: (1) feelings associated with transnational care; (2) employment experiences of TCEs; and (3) coping strategies for well-being. The results of the secondary analysis conducted herein suggested that there are more similarities than differences across the four cohorts. Many participants felt a sense of satisfaction at being able to fulfill their care obligations; however, a different outlook was observed among some Syrian and African origin respondents, who disclosed that managing care and work is overwhelming. Most TCEs also reported facing limited job options because of language barriers. While various interviewees experienced a lack of paid work and reduced income after COVID-19, a distinct perspective was noted from African descent TCEs as they expressed facing increased work demands after the pandemic. Participants additionally revealed four common coping strategies such as keeping busy, praying, family support, and staying active. Study implications include the promotion of Carer-Friendly Workplace Policies (CFWPs) that can facilitate the welfare of unpaid caregivers. This research is important as it may inform policymakers to create opportunities that may not only foster economic stability of TCEs and the Canadian economy, but also contribute towards a more equitable society.

From son to father: memory, fatherhood and migration in the life stories of Muslim men married outside their religious group in Belgium and Italy

ABSTRACT Based on biographical interviews held in Italy and Belgium with migrant-Muslim men married outside their own religious group, the article argues for the importance of including memory as part of the theoretical framework in which to locate and interpret migrant fatherhood. Looking at mixedness as a social laboratory in which to study the intersection of gender, migration and parenthood, the findings suggest that the rupture with the polygamous model of their fathers lay behind the decision of some of these men to marry a woman from the majority group and adhere to the model of fatherhood of the new country of settlement. However, for the majority of the participants, the findings demonstrate that fatherhood is much more complex than the dominant binary division between traditional and Western models of fatherhood assume. These fathers experience ambivalent emotions and constantly struggle in mediating their double presences and absences as fathers: on the one hand, they have established, thanks to the native partner, a privileged closer relationship with the new context, but, on the other, they may experience a sense of ‘dissonance’ in the management of their masculinity and of ‘loss’ in the transmission of the self to their children.

Diaspora Memory Conflicts: Struggles over Genocide Commemoration, Recognition and Denial

This contribution analyses conflicts around genocide memory in the diaspora. It shows how Assyrian/Syriac initiatives to create memorials to the 1915 genocide has triggered reactions by Turkish diaspora groups and the Turkish government. The Rwandan government, in contrast, has mobilized its diaspora to fight denial of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, while other diaspora activists draw attention to—and create commemorative practices around—other, silenced, mass-atrocities. The text discusses the opportunities for victimhood recognition and memorialization offered in the diaspora, and how genocide memory conflicts intertwine with foreign policy matters and national and local politics in the country of settlement.

Dual‐facing bridges and brokers: Diaspora politics and Chinese voluntary associations

This commentary introduces the term ‘dual facing’ to describe the way that Chinese voluntary associations orientate themselves as collectives situated between the ancestral land (China) and their countries of settlement. The commentary uses examples of Chinese voluntary associations in Singapore and Myanmar to reflect on China's longstanding presence and expanding reach in Southeast Asia, including through its diaspora engagement with the Chinese abroad. It argues that such associations are embedded not only in the nation‐building efforts of their countries of settlement, but also the ancestral land. However, this dual‐facing orientation also means that they can become embroiled in conflictual domestic and foreign politics at both ends, potentially jeopardising how they are otherwise seen as bridges and brokers by China and in the countries where have settled.

“We Kiss Everyone’s Hands to Get a Permanent Job, but Where Is It?”: The Failure of the Social Inclusion Narrative for Refugees

Humanitarian migrants, while required to prove their vulnerability to gain entry to a country of settlement, rapidly become subject to an integration narrative where self‐sufficiency is the primary aim. In the integration narrative, language learning is conceptualised as an individual endeavour that will inevitably lead to employment, while linguistic fluency and social inclusion tend to be presented as the inevitable outcomes of engagement in the labour market. Lack of success is attributed to individual failures and is typically addressed through policies designed to incentivise the individual to try harder. Drawing on a qualitative study involving refugees, language teachers and settlement brokers in New Zealand and Sweden, this article critiques the integration narrative by contrasting it with the voices of those who have sought to conform to the ideal narrative yet failed to reach the idealised outcomes. Using M. M. Bakhtin’s notions of monologue and epic dis‐ courses, it challenges the view of language learning and integration as “a test of virtuosity” (Sullivan, 2012, p. 49) which the deserving are guaranteed to pass. Instead, it argues that a range of exclusions prevents successful language acquisition, labour market entry, and social engagement and that incentives, while potentially increasing the individual’s desire for success, are insufficient unless structural inequalities are addressed.

POST-WAR RECONSTRUCTION OF CITIES IN UKRAINE IN AREAS OF THE BELLIGHERATIVE LANDSCAPES’ SPREAD

Problem statement. The war of Russia against Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022, brought the destruction of a large number of cities and villages in the regions that were in the zone of military operations. Many populated areas, regardless of their size and status in the country's settlement system, have been completely destroyed. In their place, only ruins remained, pits from houses burned down and broken to stone, countless craters from explosions and other types of disturbed territories. Unfortunately, as of April 2023, the war is still going on. On the territory of cities and villages, in fields and forests, on the banks of rivers, on the tops and slopes of hills and beams, along the roads connecting the settlements, as well as in other places located where battles were or continue to be fought, special types of landscapes have arisen, referred to in scientific publications as belligerative. They have special functioning mechanisms, special schemes for the destruction of the matrices of matter exchange, energy, information, momentum, and goal-setting, which exist both in zonal natural landscapes and in azonal anthropogenic landscapes. The area of belligerative landscapes is growing, and it is they who now dominate the ruined settlements and around them. The revival of cities after our victory is impossible without knowledge of the architectural and urban planning aspects of belligerative landscapes. The purpose of the article is to reveal the urban planning aspects of belligerent landscapes and the algorithm for their further accounting.

Rebuilding life after migration: Research protocol of a mixed methods study on settlement experiences of refugee and migrant youth.

Internationally, there is an urgent need to understand factors promoting successful settlement and integration of people with forced or voluntary migration experiences (i.e., refugee and non-refugee migrants). This paper provides a protocol of a mixed-methods investigation of contextual factors of successful settlement and service utilization of youth and their families, as young people could be at higher risk due to stressors associated with pre-migration trauma, post-migration settlement stressors, and adolescent development. This large-scale mixed-methods study will be conducted across three countries. A questionnaire survey will seek responses from 1200 youth aged 15-24 years residing in South Australia, Ontario, Canada, and California, United States of America. The qualitative component of the study will comprise 54 focus groups (324 participants) with youth and their parents/caregivers. The study design allows a range of important phenomena (e.g., different migration pathways and settlement countries) and key questions (e.g., regarding the intersection of migration, settlement, and wellbeing) to be addressed. It also allows for generalizability of findings to be tested across different communities and countries. Findings will support recommendations for policy and practice and may be generalized to advance research with youth and their families. This study is one of the largest, most comprehensive studies of youth settlement.

Building, negotiating and sustaining transnational social networks: Narratives of international students’ migration decisions in Canada

AbstractInternational student migration (ISM) is one of the fastest growing categories of migrants in Canada. Drawing on the narratives of 30 international students at a Canadian university, this paper investigates international students’ decisions to study overseas and the roles of social networks in shaping mobility. We find that international students negotiate information while embedded in multiple social networks consisting of family, friends, ethnocultural and religious communities, and professional relations in origin and settlement countries. These social networks exceed typical knowledge and connection functions; they act as informal migration agents, providing transnational care and guidance, and ‘do’ family in ways that shape mobility decisions and settlement. The information provided through these networks, however, can be inaccurate or incomplete, requiring the strategic mobilization of new networks to support migration. We conclude that international student mobility relies on building transnational networks to support knowledge transfer, provide care and offer tangible supports. Furthermore, we argue that these fluctuating local and transnational social networks should be more fully recognized in the theorizing of ISM and in strategies implemented for supporting international students.