Geopolitical imaginaries of migration in Czechia: A critical cultural sociological decentering of migration studies
| Autoři | |
|---|---|
| Rok publikování | 2025 |
| Druh | Další prezentace na konferencích |
| Fakulta / Pracoviště MU | |
| Citace | |
| Popis | In this paper, we contribute to the reflexive turn in migration studies by offering a critical cultural sociological “decentering” of the field. In our research, we explore the ways in which studying meaning-making processes and hermeneutically reconstructing cultural structures can help understand current debates on migration, as well as the everyday experiences of immigrants, both processes affected by global inequalities and political divisions. We discuss the case of migration to Czechia, a country at the European “semi-periphery,” often depicted as a post-socialist new immigrant destination. The country presents at least two compelling analytical puzzles. First, there are few “migrants,” yet the issue of migration looms large on political and public agendas. Second, there is a near-total absence of any kind of reflection concerning Czechia’s role in the colonial project, despite partaking in internal colonialism and at the same time, being seen as a colonized subject.?We combine data from two qualitative research projects - one on public attitudes toward immigrants, and the other on immigrants’ perceptions of Czech society – to offer a micro-perspective on the everyday geopolitics of migration. Based on comprehensive interviews, we explore the imaginaries of migration and Czechia’s respective position in the?global geopolitical landscape. Our work thus contributes to decentering migration studies by revealing the migration dynamics in an understudied context of the European semi-periphery and by exploring the meaning-making of two groups, often studied separately, and allowing them to speak to one another. |
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