Migration, Regional Integration and Human Security: The Formation and Maintenance of Transnational Spaces(Research in Migration and Ethnic Relations Series)

This original and timely book is the first to analyze the interconnectedness of migration, regional integration and the new security studies. Exploring the conflict between the actions of transnational migrants and state government policy in a series of theoretical chapters and regional case-studies, the book includes theoretical chapters which look at three key facets of the nation-state: population, territory and government, discussing the ways in which migration, regional integration and new security thinking challenge the accepted role and responsibilities of the state. Regional case-studies are also included which explore the specific challenges faced in regions including Central America, Asia and the Pacific and Central and Eastern Europe. As a book that asks crucial questions about the formulation of migration policies and the consequences of that success of failure, it will be essential reading for students and scholars of migration in sociology, politics and international relations and also for those with professional interests in the area.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Introduction, Harald Kleinschmidt. Approaches to Migration: International migration: a development practitioner's perspective, Eimi Watanabe; Migration, minorities, and the transfer of technology in early modern Europe, Salvatore Ciriacono; Migration, regional integration and human security: an overview of research developments, Harald Kleinschmidt; Migrants, human security and military security, Reinhard Drifte. The Restructuration of Transnational Spaces: Migration and geographical distance, Leslie E. Bauzon; Community beyond the border: an ethnological study of Chuukese migration in Micronesia, Keiji Maegawa; International migration and regional integration: the case of Central America, Wolfgang Hein; The Kurdish movement: ethnic mobilization and Europeanization, Andreas Blätte. Regional Approaches to Migrants' Security Concerns: Labour migration and human security in East and Southeast Asia, Motoko Shuto; European immigration and asylum policy: scope and limits of intergovernmental Europeanization, Dietmar Herz; Migration and cross-border cooperation in Central and East European countries, Kazu Takahashi; People on the move: the theoretical challenge of migratory movement, Henning Eichberg; Epilogue, Harald Kleinschmidt; Bibliography; Index.

About the Author :
Harald Kleinschmidt is Professor of History at the Universities of Tsukuba and of Tokyo, Japan. He is also Dean of the Doctoral Program in International Political Economy at the University of Tsukuba, and Adjunct Professor in the Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences at the University of Tokyo, Japan. His research interest are in the history of international relations within and out from Europe, the history of international relations theories and the history of migration. He also works on medieval cultural history and on the history of relations between Japan and Europe.

Review :
’Migrants are agents of change. Scholars have, for most of the twentieth century, measured the social impact of change from a negative perspective. In cultural and security terms migrants were generally seen as a threat. Finally, a new volume, written by some of the leaders in international migration, offers a comprehensive and affirmative analysis on migration. Harald Kleinschmidt has gathered an impressive range of thinkers who demonstrate both the normality of mobility in historical terms and the positive contribution of migrants to social change. The world has changed and let us hope that lawmakers, politicians and administrators not only read this book, but have the courage to adopt a new perspective on migration.’ Nikos Papastergiadis, University of Melbourne, Australia ’...a major contribution to the existing body of migration literature.’ Asian and Pacific Migration Journal ’One of the biggest contributions of Migration, Regional Integration and Human Security is that it counters popular negative views of migration, revealing that migrants are not a threat to host societies...[this] volume is a necessary read not only for scholars of migration studies but also for policymakers. The authors cogently challenge conventional theories and assumptions about migration and provide ample empirical evidence to support their arguments. Migration, Regional Integration and Human Security provides the long overdue critical eye over the subject.’ Millennium ' Etudes Internationales