RUB » SOZOMM » Homepage

Seminars/Workshops


International TRAMO Conference (14th -16th June, Bochum)

The International TRAMO Conference took place on the 14-16, June in the Event Center (Veranstaltungszentrum), Ruhr-University Bochum. In addition to the British, German, Polish and Spanish research teams, renowned academicians such as Alexandro Portes, Peggy Levitt, Luis Rodolfo Morán Quiroz, Miguel Martinez Lucio, Janusz Mucha, Michal Nowosielski, Martin Sökefeld, Liza Mügge, Carmen González-Enríquez and Encarnación Gutiérrez Rodríguez participated to the conference. The international TRAMO Conference started on the 14th of June with Ludger Pries’ and Alfred Schmidt’s introductory speeches on the TRAMO Project and VW Foundation. During the following presentation, Ludger Pries argued that there are numerous macro- (migration policies, immigration control, nexus migration-development etc.) and micro-level studies (individual assimilation, participation etc.) in migration research. He claimed, however, that the meso-level (migrant organisations: MOs) is underestimated in migration research. Ludger Pries also argued that organisational research can provide valuable insights to MOs. He then presented the theoretical framework of the TRAMO project.

Other main issues of the conference were:

  • presentations of recent research on migrant transnationalism and migrant organisations. Peggy Levitt focused on the impacts of international migration on countries of origin (CO) and countries of arrival (CA) in line with three research projects: social remittances, global discourses on women rights, and creation of global citizens and museums. Another inspiring presentation was made by Alejandro Portes. Portes presented his recent research results on the forms of transnationalism among the Columbian, Dominican and Mexican community living in the USA. 
  • presentations of the specific settings in which MOs are situated and operating, including the situational and structural context factors of CA (chronological order at the conference: Germany, Poland, Britain, Spain), and CO (chronological order at the conference: Poland and Turkey for the case studies in Germany; Ukraine and Vietnam for the case studies in Poland; Poland and India for the case studies in Britain; Morocco and Ecuador for the case studies in Spain). Here some attention was also paid to the supranational context.
  • the analysis of organisational patterns of selected case studies from the four research countries. The German team presented one Turkish and one Polish organization at the conference: Polnischer Kongress in Deutschland and German Federation of Alevi Communities. In addition to two Ukrainian organisations: Polish-Ukrainian Association ‘Prospect’ and Our Choice, the Polish research team presented two organisations established by Vietnamese in Poland: Solidarity and Friendship and The Freedom of Speech Association. The British team examined the organisational patterns of two Indian organisations: Indian Workers Association and Sikh Human Rights Group, and a Polish organization: the Polish Catholic Mission. Spanish team analysed two organisations from Morocco: Socio-cultural Association Ibn Batuta and Moroccan Association of Human Rights, and two additional organisations from Ecuador: Rumiñahui Latin Ecuadorian Association and Llactacaru - Association of Ecuadorian Immigrants for Solidarity and Cooperation in Catalonia. 

  • the comments and recommendations of the invited experts.


Workshop VI (January 25th, 2010, Oxford/United Kingdom)

The 6th workshop of the TRAMO-Project took place in Oxford on January 25th, 2010 in Oxford.
Topics:

  • Analysis and synthesis of organizational patterns and embedding of case studies into the national context factors
  • Discussions regarding the conceptual and theoretical framework
  • Publication strategy
  • Ego-centered network analysis and visualization
  • Time plan for the coming research phase
Workshop V (October 9th, 2009 in Bochum)

The 5th workshop of the TRAMO-Project took place in Bochum on October 9th, 2009.
Topics:

  • The Four National Context Studies
  • TRAMO Project's Publication Strategy
  • Preliminary Findings of Case Studies
  • Network Analysis as a Tool for Studying TRAMOs
  • The Project Workplan/Schedule for the Coming Research Phase
  • The Final TRAMO Conference
International Summer School "Migrants' Networking" (5-9.10.2009 in Bochum)

The Department of Social Science/Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Prof. Dr. L. Pries), the Department of Social Sciences/Universität Duisburg-Essen (Prof. Dr. A. Weiß) and the Research School of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Dr. Wüllner) organized jointly the International Summer School "Migrants' Networking". The Summer School aimed at providing insights into the state of the art of theoretical and empirical migration research. It especially focused on network approaches to migration studies and to migrants' social capital and self organization. Selected quantitative as well as qualitative research methods were introduced and discussed in more detail in small working groups. Overall, the program offered advanced M.A.- and Ph.D. students the opportunity to present and discuss their research projects in a professional environment of scholars and experts.


Structural changes in Metropolis? Organisation - Culture - Production. First regional conference of the DGS in the metropolitan Ruhr area, 28.09 - 30.09.2009

Coordinated by Prof. Dr. Ludger Pries, Chair of Sociology / Organisation, Migration , Participation the regional conference of the German Sociological Association (GSA) took place for the first time mainly at the Ruhr-University Bochum but also at the DASA (Exhibition on industrial safety). The idea was born by lecturers of the four Ruhr Area universities: Bochum, Dortmund, Duisburg/ Essen and the Open University of Hagen. On the eve of the European Capital of Culture 2010, the chosen topic "Structural changes in Metropolis" highlighted the changes of culture, economy and society under a distinguished sociological perspective. The event addressed lecturers, researchers, students and the interested public.


Workshop IV (March 30th, 2009 in Oxford)

The 4th workshop of the TRAMO-Project took place in Oxford on March 30th, 2009 with the attendence of Prof. Dr. Ludger Pries, Dr. Zeynep Sezgin, Nayra Garcia Gonzales, Martha Biernath, Prof. Dr. Stephen Castles and Dr. Thomas Lacroix. The aim of this workshop was to fine-tune the research design by taking into consideration the various methods of conducting:

a) case studies in general,

b) international comparison and transnational studies,

c) bi-local / bi-national case studies, and

d) cross- and longitudinal section analysis of case studies.

Volkswagen Foundation Study Groups Conference 30.01.2009

Preliminary research results of the project "Diffusion and Contexts of Transnational Migrant Organizations in Europe (TRAMO)" were presented at the Volkswagen Foundation Study Groups Conference "Migration and Integration: Language matters" on the 30th of January 2009 in Osnabrück. At the same conference the TRAMO-Project also adressed the structure and embedding of migrant organizations in four European Countries (Germany, Poland, Spain and the UK) and discussed how network analysis can be used as a tool for studying migrant organizations 

Workshop on "Cross-Border Migrant Organisations and National Development"

Members of the TRAMO-Project organized a workshop with the title "Cross-Border Migrant Organisations and National Development" in the context of the "13th International Metropolis Conference (Mobility, Integration and Development in a Globalized World)" on the 29th of October 2008 in Bonn.

Topics:

  • German Migration Regime and Harmonization of Migration Regimes in Europe
  • National Migration Regimes and Migrant Organizations
  • The Role of Migrant Organizations (especially CMBOs) in the Civic and Political Participation of Migrants in the European Countries
Workshop III (30th and 31st of October 2008 in Bochum)

Topics:

  • Linking the Four National Context Studies
  • National mapping of CBMOs'
  • Elaboration of a Common Research Guideline for Selecting 4-6 Case Studies (TRAMOs)
  • Presentation and Discussion of the Project Workplan/Schedule for the Coming Research Phases
Workshop „(Border Crossing) Migrants´ Organizations – New Actors of Social Change?”

The 34th Congress of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Soziologie (German Society of Sociology) entitled “Unsichere Zeiten. Herausforderungen gesellschaftlicher Transformationen” took place in Jena from 6th to 10th October 2008. At this congress, Ludger Pries led the workshop „(Border Crossing) Migrants´ Organizations – New Actors of Social Change?” which was held on October 8th.

In the framework of this workshop, Zeynep Sezgin presented the first research results of the TRAMO Project. In her presentation, “Fields of Conflict within the Activities of Migrants´ Organizations,” she discussed the role of migrant organizations in the integration of migrants and the promotion and preservation of migrants’ homeland identities in Germany.

Workshop II (27th and 28th of March 2008 in Granada)

Topics:

  • Fine tuning of the common research guideline: 'National mapping of MOs'
  • Discussion and development of a common research guideline for 'Country profiles of migration regimes'
  • Presentation and discussion of the 2008 work plan/schedule