Call for Papers – AAG 2016 – Geographies of Internal Migration: Cross-National Trends and Patterns

 
 
Geographies of Internal Migration: Cross-National Trends and Patterns
 
 
Convenors: Professor Thomas Cooke (University of Connecticut), Dr Ian Shuttleworth (QUB), Professor Darren Smith (Loughborough University) and Dr Nik Lomax (University of Leeds)
 
 
Sponsored by the Population Speciality Group of the AAG and the Population Geography Research Group of the RGS/IBG
 
 
This session seeks papers to debate the provocative question: Are traditional concepts and theories of internal migration fit for purpose in the context of changing patterns and processes of sub-national migration? Recent studies contend that new geographies of internal migration are unfolding, and require new perspectives, methods and data. This begs questions about the growing prevalence of local mobilities and conventional concepts such as ‘tied migrants’, and the emergence of new strategies and trade-offs adopted by persons to ‘stay put’, as opposed to ‘upping sticks’ and moving.
 
 
In the USA (Cooke 2011; Molloy 2011) and the United Kingdom (Champion and Shuttleworth 2012) rates and flows of internal migration have fallen. These falls have been attributed to a suite of economic, political and social changes that have been shared by many if not all advanced societies, but this supposition begs the question as to whether this is generally true.
 
 
Similarly, Lomax et al. (2014) point to the reduction of counterurban flows and the rise of inter-urban moves; while Smith (2012) reports rising levels of individuals migrating into city centres driven by reurbanisation projects. Identifying variation by sub-groups (ethnic, social class, lifecourse, gender, cultural differentials) and by region/country is important (Smith et al., 2015). For example the increase of tuition fees and rising student debt in the UK may lead to lower levels of regional student migration, and graduate migration (Sage et al., 2013).
 
 
The relationship between international immigration and subsequent internal migration flows may contribute to future patterns, such as the so-called ‘migrant crisis’ in Europe – as refugees move through various European states in their quest for asylum and technological developments (e.g. Skype, FaceTime) may be influential in reducing the need for persons to move sub-nationally for work and social relations.
 
 
The proposed session therefore seeks to draw together evidence on long-term temporal trends in internal migration, and aims to explore the factors that are shaping the experience of the countries of contributors. The session will also draw upon the material produced for the forthcoming edited book by Champion, Cooke and Shuttleworth, but it is not exclusive to this, and it therefore also aims to provide a wider forum for the discussion of a wide range of country studies and also the latest thinking on this important topic. Abstracts and PINS should be sent jointly to Cooke (thomas.cooke@uconn.edu), Shuttleworth (i.shuttleworth@qub.ac.uk), Smith (d.p.smith@lboro.ac.uk) and Lomax (n.m.lomax@leeds.ac.uk) by October 27th 2015.