Understanding the Anthropology of Immigration and Migration

Abstract

This literature review features the main theoretical frameworks from which modern anthropological immigration and migration studies have been conducted. It was not until the 1950s and 1960s that immigration/migration became a high-priority area for anthropologists when they noted the high rate of rural-to-urban migration, particularly in Africa and Latin America. In featuring the processes of immigration and migration, this review highlights the major neo-classical theories related to dependency, world systems, and articulation and the transnational theories related to diaspora, border, and feminist perspectives. Anthropologists have made significant contributions to the interdisciplinary field of migration studies. The review concludes with implications for understanding human behavior and the social environment within the context of immigration and migration.

KEYWORDS:

• Anthropology
• dependency theory
• migration theory
• modernization
• theories of immigration
• transnational theory