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Human mobility is an interdisciplinary and highly complex issue which has been approached from diverse national academic traditions and methodologies of investigation (De Tona et al. 2010).
Although the study of migration was initially dominated by empiricist-positivist approaches, by now there is a well-established tradition of qualitative studies (Iosifides and Sporton 2009). More recently, within the realm of feminist, critical and experimental scholarship, there has been an upsurge of new and creative methodological developments. These include a diversity of participatory approaches, ranging from social action-research to research involving different types of participation (Arnstein 1969). This is particularly relevant at a time when not only scholars but also different institutions are currently promoting participation and societal involvement in research. This work questions well-established dichotomies such as those between researcher and research participants, or between academia, activism and social work (Pereira et al. 2016). So far, though, these studies have not received systematized attention and to a large extend remain as isolated small case studies. Trying to redress this situation, this special issue aims to showcase overall connections and developments by providing an updated account of participatory approaches in migration studies, and to provide a forum to reflect on the possibilities, limits and challenges of making use of participatory methods in migration research.
Deadline: December 15, 2018.