Island of Hope: Migration and Solidarity in the Mediterranean

by Megan A. Carney

Overview

With thousands of migrants attempting the perilous maritime journey from North Africa to Europe each year, transnational migration is a defining feature of social life in the Mediterranean today. On the island of Sicily, where many migrants first arrive and ultimately remain, the contours of migrant reception and integration are frequently animated by broader concerns for human rights and social justice. Island of Hope sheds light on the emergence of social solidarity initiatives and networks forged between citizens and noncitizens who work together to improve local livelihoods and mobilize for radical political change. Basing her argument on years of ethnographic fieldwork with frontline communities in Sicily, anthropologist Megan Carney asserts that such mobilizations hold significance not only for the rights of migrants, but for the material and affective well-being of society at large.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780520975569
Publisher:	University of California Press
Publication date:	05/18/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Megan A. Carney is Assistant Professor in the School of Anthropology and Director of the Center for Regional Food Studies at the University of Arizona. Her writing has appeared in The Hill, The Conversation, and Civil Eats. She is the author of the award-winning book The Unending Hunger.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Maps

Introduction 
1. Austerity and Migration as Mediterranean "Questions"
2. "There Is a Lot of Creativity on This Island"
3. The Reception Apparatus 
4. Migrant Solidarity Work 
5. Edible Solidarities 
6. Caring for the Future: The Case of Migrant Youth 
Epilogue

Notes
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

"This book will interest migration and social movements scholars, but also non-academic readers interested in deconstructing the crisis and emergency narrative surrounding Mediterranean migration and discovering solidarity experiences that challenge the neoliberal system."

International Migration Review

[A] highly accomplished and relevant work.”

Quaderni d’Italianistica

"Carney convincingly challenges the traditional view of Mediterranean migration as a crisis of the nation state and neoliberal economy, combining meticulous empirical analysis and thoughtful discussions."
 

Modern Italy

"A vibrant ethnographic study. . . .Thanks to this book, it is possible to look at solidarity networks with a more critical and questioning eye. Drawing on the extensive fieldwork that foregrounds the book, it will be an important resource for academics and researchers working on migration and solidarity."

International Migration