A theory of migration: the aspirations-capabilities framework

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Paper Summary

Conflicts of Interest

Identified Weaknesses

Rating Explanation

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Paper Summary

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Should I Stay or Should I Go? A New Theory on Migration Decisions!

This paper proposes that migration is not merely a response to external factors but a complex interplay of individual aspirations and capabilities shaped by structural conditions. It introduces the aspirations-capabilities framework, defining human mobility as the freedom to choose where to live, encompassing both moving and staying. This framework aims to integrate various migration theories and provide a more nuanced understanding of migration's role in broader social change.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

The author acknowledges funding from the European Research Council under the Horizon 2020 Programme. While this doesn't inherently create bias, it is important to be aware of potential influences of research funding on study design or interpretation of results. No other conflicts identified.

Identified Weaknesses

Limited empirical testing

Limited empirical testing of the entire framework makes it hard to fully evaluate its explanatory power.

Conceptual ambiguity

Some concepts, such as distress migration, lack clarity and require further elaboration.

Conceptual integration

The integration of intrinsic and instrumental motivations for migration requires further investigation.

Limited applicability to extreme cases

The model may be less applicable to extreme cases of forced migration, such as slavery or trafficking where agency is virtually nonexistent.

Rating Explanation

This paper presents a novel and comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding migration that integrates agency and structure, moving beyond simplistic push-pull models. It incorporates Sen's capabilities approach and Berlin's concepts of liberty, offering a nuanced view of migration as a function of aspirations and capabilities within given opportunity structures. The clarity of presentation and the potential for future research warrant a high rating, despite the need for more empirical validation and some remaining conceptual questions.

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