1st Edition
Labour Migration from Turkey to Western Europe, 1960-1974 A Multidisciplinary Analysis
Groundbreaking in its comprehensiveness, this book illuminates the migration of workers from Turkey to Western Europe with new perspectives previously overlooked in research. Indeed, this is the first study of its kind to cover the entire migration process, making extensive use of primary as well as secondary sources in four languages, and it draws on both the historiography and the social sciences of migration. It presents new analyses of the so-called 'push' factors behind this movement and explores the role of the sending state, the system and channels through which labour exits, the labouring population's attitudes towards moving to the West and the relevance of social networks in the migration process. The volume offers a critical assessment of the significance of Turkish labour migration with regard to the demand for foreign labour in Europe, with particular emphasis on the cases of Germany and the Netherlands.
Biography
Ahmet Akgündüz is a social scientist affiliated with the Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies (IMES) at the University of Amsterdam and a member of the International Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion in Europe (IMISCOE) network.
'For years to come, this is "the" book on Turkish labour migration to Western Europe from a broad historical, comparative and multi-disciplinary perspective. It is essential reading for migration researchers and policy makers.' Veit Bader, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
'This study demonstrates a scholarly perspective, an organizing conceptual and analytical framework, skills in the methodology of research, and a capacity to relate research to the broader framework of the literature within which it falls.' Ahmet Içduygu, Koç University, Turkey
'…this book is an important and very timely contribution that will help academics and policy makers in their future forecasts and evaluations.' Insight Turkey
'The book debunks many assumptions in previous research in the field, which did not rely on hard evidence. Therefore, the book is a must-read for understanding the deficiencies in the literature and the migration process of workers from Turkey to the West from a broad perspective.' Turkish Studies
'…Akgündüz's book clearly contributes to studies of labor migration from Turkey a fresh perspective and new research questions that will hopefully lead to the deepening and widening of the migration research literature on Turkey.' New Perspectives on Turkey
'This is a very well written and researched book on an important but largely neglected topic. The book offers many new and fresh insights in the migration processes of Turkish guest workers to Western Europe. It is a pioneering work and as such is unique to the field.' Leo Lucassen, University of Leiden, The Netherlands
'The strength of this study lies in the comparative macro-analysis of a large range of quantitative data, and it undoubtedly provides a very rich source for those studying the ‘guestworker’ system and for migration scholars more widely.' The Cyprus Review
‘The author … presents the first comprehensive study on Turkish labour migration before the recruitment ban. In view of the variety of publications on the subject, this may come as a surprise, but here the framework for emigration is systematically developed for the first time, the sending and receiving societies are dealt with, and finally the migrants themselves are examined. The comprehensive approach is balanced, and urban and rural emigration areas, the multitude of destination regions and sectors, and the strategies of families for dealing with migration prospects are equally taken into account. The author repeatedly emphasizes how limited previous studies were. This is correct and surprising given the development of migration research.’ Dirk Hoerder, the State University of Arizona, USA, Vierteljahrschrift für Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte
‘Der Autor ... legt die erste umfassende Studie zur türkischen Arbeitswanderung vor dem Anwerbestopp vor. Angesichts einer Vielfalt von Publikationen zum Thema mag dies überraschen, aber hier werden erstmals systematisch der Rahmen für Abwanderungen entwickelt, die Ausgangs- und die Empfängergesellschaften behandelt und schließlich die Migrantinnen selbst untersucht. Der umfassende Ansatz ist ausgewogen, urbane und ländliche Abwanderungsgebiete, die Vielzahl der Zielregionen und -sektoren, die Handlungsstrategien von Familien mit Migrationsperspektiven werden gleicher maßen berücksichtigt. Der Verfasser betont wiederholt, wie begrenzt frühere Studien gewesen seien. Dies ist richtig und angesichts der Entwicklung der Migrationsforschung überraschend.‘ Dirk Hoerder, the State University of Arizona, USA, Vierteljahrschrift für Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte
