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This site archives the Odyssey Group workshop held at
University
of Ulster, Jordanstown, Northern Ireland,
23rd-27th August 2004
hosted
by Professor Julian Hine, Translink Chair of Transport, University of Ulster,
Jordanstown
in collaboration with the
Management Research
Centre, London Metropolitan University
Aims Examples What It's About Timetable Programme-in-progress Location Participants Related websites Guestbook Migration and Diaspora websites Odyssey Group
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This workshop examined the implications of new information and communications technologies for the social and economic dynamics of identity and community, in the context of migration and diaspora. In particular, the workshop explored:
A stream on Accessibility, mobility and connectivity: changing frontiers of daily routines has been approved for the IIS World Congress Frontiers of Sociology taking place in Stockholm in July 2005.
Virtual Journeys: (clicking a link opens a new browser window) Migration and diaspora web links Migration, Identity and New Information Technology - Resources Mobility Biographies: a post-Odyssey development in the reintegration of fragmented histories. Presented in the FIERI Seminar Series, Turin, January, 2005 Crossing a Contested Space: a developing archive of one journey across the Irish Sea to the Odyssey meeting - online links to the contestation around conflicting uses and limited resources From Green Line to Green Lanes: co-existence and identity beyond a contested space - the Cypriot communities of North London Irish identities - voicing through song Mapping Movement as Identity - the Ulster American Folk Park The Navvies - parody and self-representation by another migratory labour force Caribbean Diaspora - online resources on the cultural, economic and political impacts of migration on people both within the Caribbean and within the wider Caribbean diaspora, prepared by Fiona RajeMigration and Skills: The Ghanaian experience Harvesting the Diaspora - the Indian Government policy on the return of overseas IndiansFuneral trains - online links to resources about the necropolis and funeral trains in the Victorian era Saving the Picket: - threatened identities, migrant diversity and European cultural capital - Liverpool 2008 Next Practice - new approaches to micro-credit and development, a website being created by Frank GoRural Transport - links to research projects - contributed by Ronald McQuaid Micro-migration - movement and displacement in the inner city: Manchester Oaxaca Index - Mexican migration pathways Herring Girls - web-based resources on a migrant labour force The Herring Lassies: a Lowestoft gallery Hop-picking: a distributed archive - web-based resources on seasonal migration between urban and rural locations
Migration of peoples, as individuals and in groups of various sizes, takes place in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons, with a variety of effects. Physically and violently enforced migration (eg slavery), and the 'push' and 'pull' of economic, political, social and cultural circumstances, may be seen throughout history and in the current era. Some migration is short-distance, some long-distance; some takes place once for a particular individual or group, whilst other forms of migration may be repetitive/ seasonal, or as a continuing state of nomadic existence. Some nations, including USA, Canada and Australia, are almost wholly the result of migration; such migration affected both indigenous/ aboriginal peoples and the countries and communities of origin of the migrants. The degree to which communal identity has been retained and maintained, transformed, or lost, has varied, as has the degree of linkage with the originating community. In the past, distance has acted to separate sites of origin and destination, and to separate communities divided by migration. Whilst faster (and safer) forms of transport have enabled physical reconnection, advances in modes of communication may be seen as 're-communifying' those previously divided by migration. The internet and Web would appear to afford considerable scope for such re-communification, and this workshop explored how migrant and diasporal communities have used, and are using, such communication technology.
Migration is currently a major political issue as evidenced by the choice of that topic by UK Prime Minister Tony Blair for his speech to the Confederation of British Industry in April 2004. In this speech he sought to 'get behind the myths and misinformation and really look at the facts'. He drew attention to the history of migration to the UK over many centuries, which "is, and always has been, absolutely essential to our economy", and to the settling of migrant communities within a 'diverse Britain'. He also referred to issues of refugees and asylum seekers, the (then-imminent) expansion of the European Community (with free-movement of people across 25 European countries), of 'abuses' of the immigration system and of illegal immigration. The internet and Web would seem to provide an important vehicle for contesting the claims made by those who peddle 'myths' and 'misinformation' (or disinformation?); it may also be a vehicle for disseminating such myths and disinformation, as shown by the websites of far-right political groups and other racist and hate sites. The workshop explored how these new information and communication technologies are being deployed in presentation of, and debate and contestation between, knowledge claims about migration.
Tony Blair did not make explicit reference in his speech to the death by drowning of at least 19 Chinese cockle
pickers in the fast-moving tide at Morecambe Bay (the number of death
later increased to 21) on 6th February 2004. Early media coverage called
attention to the role of criminal gangs in illegally bringing in immigrants
who are then effectively forced to work in low-paid, poorly-regulated
areas of the economy (see, eg, 'Victims of the sands and the snakeheads', Guardian,
7th February 2004). Tragic and high profile cases such this draw our
attention to the reliance by many sectors of the economy
(particularly agriculture and food production, construction, and domestic
services) on migrant labour. These are particularly affected
by the supply-chain management practices of retailers under competitive
pressures, and by the increase in outsourcing by major corporations (especially
in public services). Typically, such areas of employment have little or
no forms of collective organisation of workers. The
workshop examined how the new information and communication technologies
may enable greater public awareness and scrutiny of such issues, and afford
channels of advocacy and collective action by, and on behalf of, those
who are employed in these areas of the economy.
See the timetable for the event here See the programme as it develops here See Virtual Book Launches at the event here |
Our location for the workshop
Ulster is an ideal geographical base for the workshop: migration, inward and outward, has had a defining impact on its peoples and communities for many centuries. The workshop explored the affordances of the internet and world wide web in relation to migration from the island of Ireland, and also in relation to other contexts of migration and of diasporal communities. University of Ulster, Jordanstown, campus directions 
News item:
Residential Participants Our host: Professor Julian Hine, University of Ulster Other participants: Professor Kay Axhausen Professor Frank Go, Professor Margaret Grieco, University of Ulster email: b.gunay@ulst.ac.uk John Hogan Dr Leonard Holmes, Dr Stephen Little, Andreja Zivkovic, Virtual Participants to join us as a virtual participant, please email your details to l.holmes@re-skill.org.uk Professor Nana Araba Apt, Dr Chris Carter, Professor Stewart Clegg, email: yawdankwa8@yahoo.com Professor Ravi Kanbur Dr Melih Kirlidog, Professor Ronald McQuaid, Dr Perry Morrison, Fiona Raje Dr Gilly Salmon, Dr Mimi Sheller, Dr Jeffrey Turner Professor John Urry, |
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The workshop is now over and the site is now archived. Further areas for investigation arose during the workshop; and we welcome suggested areas for exploration and collaboration in this process: Leonard Holmes (e-mail: l.holmes@re-skill.org.uk) and Stephen Little (email: s.e.little@open.ac.uk) welcome suggestions and comments.
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Related websites: (clicking a link opens a new browser window) The Change Page: Participative Approaches to Development Management ICAN Innovative Collaborations, Alliances and Networks Research Centre at the University of Technology, Sydney Unions on line: the emergence of e-forms of collectivism and solidarity Centre for Innovation, Knowledge and Development, Open University CeMoRe Centre, University of Lancaster. The ESRC sponsored Mobile Network Employment Research Institute, Napier University. |
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to suggest a site, please email the URL to l.holmes@re-skill.org.uk |
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page last updated: 22nd February 2005
