Dimensions of agency in transnational relations of Afghan migrants and return migrants

Fischer, Carolin; van Houte, Marieke (2019). Dimensions of agency in transnational relations of Afghan migrants and return migrants Migration Studies, 8(4), pp. 554-572. Oxford University Press 10.1093/migration/mnz012

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This article examines agency unfolding in the relationships that Afghan migrants and return migrants maintain with Afghanistan. Based on qualitative case studies of Afghan diaspora groups in Germany and the UK and Afghan return migrants in Kabul, we focus on how people engage with and position themselves in relation to Afghanistan. Drawing on Emirbayer and Mische’s tri-dimensional concept of agency in combination with Vigh’s idea of social navigation, we approach affective relations and forms of practical (transnational) engagement as expressions of agency. Research on migrants and return migrants is seldom brought together. However, exploring the types of engagement of these two groups with Afghanistan is telling for three reasons. First, it enables us to identify parallels and differences in the way Afghan migrants and return migrants relate to Afghanistan. Secondly, we uncover how ideas of change vary in different settings and under different socio-political conditions. Thirdly, we demonstrate that ties between people and place are not innate but an expression of agency and self-positioning. These in turn are contingent on individual characteristics and the context in which people are embedded. Compared to policy-oriented discussions on the migration-development nexus and on forms and outcomes of migrant engagements, our study yields a more nuanced understanding of entanglements between agency and engagement among Afghan migrants and return migrants.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	School of Social Work > Institute for Social and Cultural Diversity School of Social Work BFH Centres and strategic thematic fields > Thematic field "Caring Society"
Name:	Fischer, Carolin0000-0002-5995-5114 and van Houte, Marieke
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races
ISSN:	2049-5838
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Language:	English
Submitter:	Carolin Fischer
Date Deposited:	29 Jan 2024 14:44
Last Modified:	29 Jan 2024 14:44
Publisher DOI:	10.1093/migration/mnz012
URI:	https://arbor.bfh.ch/id/eprint/20987