International migration, social demotion, and imagined advancement : an ethnography of socioglobal mobility / Erind Pajo.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pajo, Erind.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Albanians.

Economic conditions.

Social conditions.

Immigrants.

Emigration and immigration.

Greece--Emigration and immigration.

Greece.

Albania--Emigration and immigration.

Albania.

Immigrants--Greece.

Albanians--Greece.

Albanians--Greece--Social conditions.

Albanians--Greece--Economic conditions.

Physical Description:

xvii, 213 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Springer, [2008]

Summary:

Contemporary migration involves a dramatic paradox. Although much of what is considered international or transnational migration today transforms people of a wide range of social standings in the emigration countries into laborers at the bottom social and economic ranks of the immigration countries, millions of individuals worldwide seek to migrate internationally. International Migration, Social Demotion, and Imagined Advancement argues that this paradox cannot be explained, as long as common assumptions about immigrants' economic betterment effect explanations of why individuals who are not threatened by famine or war willingly pursue their demotion abroad. Recognizing immigrants' decline as such, this book proposes viewing contemporary migration as socioglobal mobility. Revolving around an ethnographic study of the Albanian "emigration" in Greece, International Migration, Social Demotion, and Imagined. Advancement finds that imaginings of the world as a social hierarchy might lie at the roots of much of the contemporary international migration. As would-be emigrants perceive different countries in terms of distinct social stations in a global order, they resolve to put up with numerous social and material deprivations in the hope of advancing internationally. Immigrants are typically thought of as aliens in their de facto home societies, however, making genuine advancement all but impossible.

Contents:

1 International Migration as Socioglobal Mobility 1

Down and Under as Economic Advantage 2

The Meaning of Migrants' Money 8

Socioglobal Mobility 9

2 A Preliminary Portrait of the Albanian Emigration 11

3 Ethnography and the Discursive Scape 25

Emigration as Everyone Knows It 25

The Feeling of All the Emigrants 30

Never a One Will Know What Every Emigrant Knows 35

The Structure of This Ethnography 38

4 Portrait of Lumturi F., High School Teacher, Domestic Cleaner, Kitchen Help, Maid 44

The Beginning Is Always a Little Difficult 44

The First Time "in Europe" 45

They Had Come to Greece for Their Children 48

From the Restaurant to Athens 48

Maybe a Cursed Land 50

5 Greece Is Better than Albania 52

The Objective Inferiority of Albania 52

Objectifications of Individuality, Distinction, and Indistinction in Albania 57

Objective Contradictions in Greece 63

Greece Is Better than Albania 68

6 Portrait of Petraq Z., Research Scientist, Plumber's Aide, Maker of Icon Frames, Champion of Capitalism 70

A PhD Is about Learning 70

Capitalism in Greece Is Fairer Than Socialism in Albania 72

Starting Capital 73

Greeks Cannot Be Blamed for the Bad Name of the Albanians 74

Greece According to Marx 75

Your Country Is Something That Can Never Change 76

7 Sufferings of the Soul 78

A Richer and Unhappy Life 78

The Sufferings of Intellectual Superiority in the Employment of Economic Inferiority 80

Xenophobia, Racism, and Hate of Albanians 84

From the Economic Inferiority of Intellectual Superiority to Economic Justice for Inferiority 90

8 Portrait of Fatmir R., High School Principal, Democrat, Janitor, Maintenance Technician, Contemporary Citizen 95

There Was an Economic Elevation in Albania 95

Getting Out of the Red Circle 96

Always Willing to Learn 97

Cutting Off the Emotional Relationship with the World 98

9 The Economic Disadvantages of Emigration 101

Racism and Economics 101

The Economics of Illegality 106

The Economics of Statelessness 111

Remittances 117

10 Portrait of Llambi S., Math Teacher, Member of Albania's Party of Labor, Olive Plucker, Construction Helper, Lottery Peddler, Cafe Proprietor 121

Albania's Downhill 121

A Minoritar in Albania 122

The Party Had Exaggerated a Bit about the Capitalist World 124

An Ethnic Greek, but an Albanian at Heart 126

11 Why Emigrants Do Not Return to Albania 127

The Past in the Present of Albania 127

The Continuity of Decline 130

The Objective Position of the "Common Human" in Albania 135

When You Have Moved Forward, It Is Hard to Move Backward 138

12 Portrait of Drita H., Chemical Engineer, Domestic Cleaner, Moviegoer, Balletomane 141

The End of Albania's Good Times 141

Unexpected Turns 143

Emigrants Will Never Make Millions 144

Without Fruit, Life Would Not Be Worth Living 145

Books, Movies, Ballet 146

13 The World According to the Emigrants 149

Territorialized Fulfillment 149

Geography and Hierarchy 153

America, Where Things Are as Things Ought to Be 156

The World Hierarchy 159

14 Portrait of Ilir, Known As Panajotis, Embassy Child, Ex-Politically Persecuted, Internment Farm Worker, Baker's Aide, Specialist of Floors, Would-be Rebuilder of the World Trade Center 162

The McDonald's on the Syntagma Square 162

Towards Athens 163

An Architect, or Perhaps a Diplomat Like His Father 165

In Greece 168

The American Lottery 169

15 The Logic and the Experience of Emigration 172

The Logic of Emigration 172

The Subjection of Emigration Experiences to the Imaginary of World Hierarchy 173

The Roots of Action 177

The Albanians of Greece 181

16 Portrait of Genci K., Student, Waiter 185

Reflecting on Things He Never Thought of Before 185

To Become Somebody 186

"Self-Realized" 188

Differences Between People 189

The Good Things Life Once Had 190

17 Socioglobal Articulations and Imaginaries 192

The Necessity for International Advancement in 1980s Albania 192

The Impossibility of International Advancement in Contemporary Greece 196

The Socioglobal 201.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [203]-206) and index.

ISBN:

0387719520

9780387719528

OCLC:

171111278