1 Migration, Transnationalism, and Cultural Change Free Online FlashCards

What is migration?

Migration is movement away from a person’s usual place of residence, within a country or across an international border.

What is transnationalism?

Transnationalism refers to social processes and connections that cross national borders.

What is a transnational social field?

A transnational social field is a network of relationships and practices linking places across borders, rather than being contained within one country.

Are all migrants equally transnational?

Transnational ties vary in frequency and importance; migration does not necessarily make every migrant strongly transnational.

What is cultural transformation?

Cultural transformation is change in shared meanings and practices, such as language use, foodways, music, religious life, identities, or ideas about belonging.

What forms can cultural change take?

Cultural change can involve retaining traditions, adopting practices, combining influences into new forms, or challenging existing norms. These processes are not necessarily one-way or uniform.

How can transnational connections shape cultural change?

Transnational connections can carry ideas, practices, resources, and identities between places; these exchanges and local interactions can reshape culture in both origin and destination settings.

What is a diaspora?

A diaspora is a community formed through migration and its histories, often involving shared identities or continuing relationships with places of origin.

What does assimilation commonly describe?

Assimilation commonly describes increasing adoption of practices associated with a receiving society, sometimes alongside reduced use of heritage practices.

What is methodological nationalism?

Methodological nationalism is the tendency to treat the nation-state as the natural boundary for social analysis.

What should researchers ask about power in cultural change?

Researchers should examine whose practices are treated as legitimate or mainstream, who is expected to adapt, and who benefits from cultural exchange.

What can comparing multiple locations reveal?

Comparing perspectives and locations can reveal how a practice or relationship is understood differently across settings.