Doctoral Dissertation Research: Cooperation in Uncertainty during Migration

博士论文研究：移民过程中的不确定性合作这个项目调查移民从一个国家到另一个国家的经历。 先前的研究表明，移民的经历各不相同：一些移民描述了严酷和忽视的经历，而另一些移民则认为得到了保护和支持。但是，这些差异的原因是什么呢？ 该项目将研究移民如何与协助旅行的人谈判关系。他们如何保护自己，当这些保护措施失败时，他们遵守什么条件？ 当法律不被执行时，这些过程如何自我组织？社交网络如何促进移徙？ 政府经常考虑如何降低移民的风险。 一些政府政策的基础可能也是这样一种假设，即如果风险高，移徙就会减少，但目前的研究表明，许多移徙者不顾风险坚持尝试。查明哪些情况会增加移徙者受害的风险，将有助于政府制定政策，协助选择移徙者安全通行。 为了理解是什么解释了移民的不同经历，本项目将分析移民经历的条件以及安全何时得到支持或侵犯。 该项目将在许多移徙旅程开始的地方进行实地调查，并将依靠对潜在的移徙者和回返者进行半结构化的定性访谈，返回原籍国的移民。该项目将通过社交媒体应用程序与潜在移民保持联系，并在他们移民尝试后的一个月内重新面试他们。访谈的主题包括移民选择的路线，谁帮助他们，他们在这些决定中依赖社交网络的程度，以及最后，他们是否经历了支持与严厉或忽视。返回者将提供关于他们遇到的各种风险的数据。该项目将在几个不同地点的每一个地点采访50名可能的移徙者和50名回返者。在这一群体中，访谈将抽样调查多样性，特别是农村与城市出身，以及社会经济、性别和种族多样性，以确保捕捉到各种各样的观点。该项目将采用滚雪球抽样战略，并通过与当地服务非政府组织的伙伴关系，进入受移徙影响的社区。对移民旅程的分析不仅涉及人类如何创造促进合作的制度，还涉及文化、社会分裂和当地环境如何影响这些制度选择。 该项目的研究成果将有助于有关移民、法律、社交网络和全球不平等的社会学理论。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Doctoral Dissertation Research: Cooperation in Uncertainty during MigrationThis project investigates the experiences of migrants as they journey from one country to another. Prior research indicates that the experience of migrants varies: some migrants describe experiences of harshness and neglect, while others perceive protection and support. But what account for these differences? This project will examine how migrants negotiate the relationships with those who assist in the journeys. How do they work to safeguard themselves, and what conditions do they observe when these safeguards fail? How do these process self-organize when laws are unenforced? And how do social networks facilitate migration? Governments frequently ponder how to lower the risks for migrants. Underlying some governmental policies may also be the assumption that if risks are high, migration will decrease, but current research indicates that many migrants persist in their attempts despite the risks. Identifying what conditions increase the risk of victimization for migrants will inform governmental policies to assist in safe passage for those who choose to migrate. In order to understand what explains differential experiences of migrants, this project will analyze what conditions the migrants experience and when safety is supported or violated. The project will conduct fieldwork in locales where many migration journeys begin and will rely on semi-structured, qualitative interviews of prospective migrants and returnees, i.e., those migrants who return to countries of origin. The project will stay in contact with prospective migrants through social media apps and re-interview them within a month of their migration attempt. Interview topics include the route migrants chose, who assisted them, the extent to which they relied on their social networks in these decisions, and, finally, whether they experienced support versus harshness or neglect. Returnees will provide data on the various risks they encountered. The project will interview 50 potential migrants and 50 returnees in each of several different locales. Within this group, the interviews will sample for diversity, especially rural versus urban origins, but also socioeconomic, gender and ethnic diversity in order to ensure capture a diverse range of perspectives. The project will use a snowball sampling strategy and gain access to migration-affected communities through partnerships with local service NGOs. The analysis of migrant journeys not only speaks to how humans create institutions to facilitate cooperation, but also how culture, social cleavages, and local context influence these institutional choices. Findings from the project will contribute to sociological theories regarding migration, the law, social networks and global inequality.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.