MIGNEX Handbook Chapter
2: Key concepts and definitions in the migration–development nexus
Many common concepts – including forced migration, root causes, migration decision, and transit migration – carry assumptions that run counter to the analytical ambitions of MIGNEX. Navigating the terminology calls for balancing critical thinking and pragmatism.
Key takeaways
MIGNEX is expected to help address the ‘root causes’ of migration. However, the concept itself is troubled by a narrow conception of migration as a symptom of problems.
The emphasis on disaggregation in the MIGNEX methodology is reflected in a terminology that lets us pick processes and phenomena apart.
When our audiences use terminology that differs from ours, we should engage with their usage and explain why we take a different approach.
