In my thesis I am analysing the socio-economic impact of migration on the Namibian family. Since internal migration has an important role to play I believe it is correct to assimilate financial and non finacial transfer to the remittance definition
Dear Bruno,
Yes it is conceptually correct to consider internal financial and non financial transfer as remittances. These would be internal remittances and when the flow is from migrants that have migrated to another country, it will be international /transnational remittances. When stark and Bloom(1985) did their study on rural-urban migration in Botswana, they saw migration as a family affair to diversify risk and maximise income through remittances. To them, migration was based on an implicit contractual agreement between migrants and their families. And this is the central argument in the New Economics theory of Migration which has been widely used in transnational migration studies as well. Hope I have attempted to answer your question...
Thanks Christina, yes the NELM is also what I am following even if my thesis is more qualitative than quatitative so as you know the focus pre existing theory is somehow different
Thank you Bruno and Christina for talking to this enlightening topic! Economically motivated migration is a subject that needs to garner more attention. This is especially true in the U.S. where we are entering a "High Rhetoric" season -- the launching of campaigning for the Presidential election next year. We desperately need for the candidates to actually grapple with the immigration issue in a substantive, less divisive manner.
Of course, a good start would be to recognize that the time is past for positing U.S. immigration as being driven by emigrants in search of religious or political freedom. Projecting these reminiscent and romantic images to explain the Westward movement of migrating peoples actually short-changes the American public by keeping them in ignorance while allowing politicians to avoid talking about the complex economic issues (wrought by a globalized world of interconnected and interdependent economies and nations) that lie behind the surge in migrating peoples.
The ability to skim over substantive immigration issues (which, incidentally, are global--not purely domestic--issues) allows politicians like the inimical Donald Trump to polarize voters by drumming up emotionally charged and unfounded accusations against immigrants from our neighbor to the south, Mexico - a country that is also a fellow-NAFTA member.
Fortunately, American demographers and sociologists have started talking about economically motivated migration and it is my hope that the public intellectuals among them will steer next year's campaign rhetoric (via TV Sunday morning talk shows like "Meet the Press") away from hate- and fear-mongering diatribes to serious discussions about immigration TODAY. This will render untenable the romanticized depictions of yesteryear that have allowed politicians to simply skate by with portraying America as "the promised land" where everyone wants to be; thereby making it easy to ignore the rational actor and intelligent, calculating individual who arrives in the U.S. with more than vague dreams. Today's immigrant is a rational being with a concrete plan and well-thought out reasons for "pulling up stakes" and moving to a new locale and, for one, the America voting public needs to know this.
Gwen
Hi Gwen, I am not an expert on North American migration flows, but as correctly you have indicated migration is a global phenomenon which interest all continents; it is hence a very easy pick for politician to foster populistic sentiments based on gut feelings and not on hard core facts. As you know now the nexus migration development for both countries of origine and destination has developed a well articulate literature so this should help those interested to respond appropriately to the "fictional facts" used to foster anti immigrants sentiments. Let me know if you need assistance I could indicate you some relevant articles.
Thank you, Bruno; I may have to take you up on your kind offer. "The Donald" is getting crazier and crazier:
Gwen
Dear Bruno,
As far as migration is considered as a move from one residential place to another, by crossing a border (internal administrative limit or international border), there is no functional difference between internal migration and international migration. Of course, the concept of residence must be defined, in general with a minimum length of stay (often 6 months).
The search for employment and higher income is often the main purpose of migration. It is decided by the migrant in accordance with his/her family at the place of origin, which tries to optimize the benefit of the migration or non-migration of its members, notably in terms of remittances. Thus, the place of destination may be located inside the country as well as in a foreign country, depend on the location of the main employment centre. Thus the financial and non-financial transfers by the migrant to his/her family at the place of origin are truly remittances what may be the location of the destination place (inside or outside the country).
Patrick.
Thanks Patrick to confirm my thoughts. As you know in the BPM6 definition of remittances they are associated to the "finacial flows" generated bythose who have migrated and are now residing in the country. From my point of view and from the angle of my research this is not only limitative, but also conceptually wrong exactly for the points you have underlined.
Remittances can be through money or in kind, sending goods. Her ein Fiji one just needs to come to the jetty where the ships leaving for the other islands leave to see what is loaded, often urban consumer goods, processed canned food, rice, salt, sugar, kerosene, etc.. It is, however, also intersting to see, what comes back, produce from the farm, taro, cassava, water melons, and of course kava, th enational drink of Fiji.
In internal migration I would even say that kind is more important than money. In international migration money plays surely a bigger role, but also here kind in form of consumer items are important, usually brought into the country when people visit their relatives.
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