Depoliticising Migration / Mobility & Politics (PDF)

Antoine Pécoud is Professor of Sociology at the University of Paris 13, France. He holds a PhD in social anthropology from the University of Oxford. Between 2003 and 2012, he worked as a migration specialist for UNESCO. His research addresses the global politics of migration. He has co-edited several books, including Migration Without Borders (with P. de Guchteneire, 2007), The Politics of International Migration Management (with M. Geiger, 2010), and Disciplining the Transnational Mobility of People (with M. Geiger, 2013).

“Pécoud provides a unique book that could be considered as a deepened compendium of his scholarly trajectory and of his intellectual devenir. … Pécoud’s book is … not only an inspiring exercise in intellectual honesty; it is also a broader stimulus for social researchers to think about the current status, characteristics, constraints, and role of the social sciences.” (Antonina Levatino, Population Space and Place, Vol. 23, 2017)

“The writing is succinct and in only 144 pages, Pécoud outlines a convincing argument about how IMN are imbued with politics. … the book succeeds in providing a critical and nuanced analysis of IMN, and of how they shape migration issues. … the book may especially be of inspiration to academic researchers and civil society organisations.” (Julie Schiltz, Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Vo1. 17 (2), May, 2016)

“Pécoud’s own experience of the inner workings of an international organisation – of bureaucratic entrepreneurialism and political manoeuvring, of self-censorship and the politicisation of terminology – makes his book an important read not only for development and migration scholars but for general international relations students as well. It should also be of interest to practitioners who may share the author’s feeling of unease at partaking in the international narratives of migration.” (Sara Kalm, European Journal of Development Research, Vol. 28 (2), April, 2016)

“Each chapter is preceded by a short abstract of what it contains, which makes it easy for the reader to know what the chapter is about and if s/he likes to delve deeper into it. … Depoliticizing Migration is a useful vade mecum for interpreting and understanding these reports as it offers reflections on which stories these reports sell and how they construct migration. Even for those not into the migration field, the study might be a useful read.” (Niklas Reese, Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, Vol. 25 (1), March, 2016)“This