Return Migration and Reverse Transnationalism: Reimagining Home, Identity, and Belonging
Panel convenors: Russell King (University of Sussex) and Nilay Kılınç (University of Helsinki)
Abstract
Return migration has often been seen as the ‘final’ phase of the migratory cycle, where migrants reintegrate into their home countries, potentially contributing to the origin country’s economic development and social transformation. However, recent scholarship has nuanced this understanding, highlighting that return migration is not merely a reversal of the initial migration process but a complex, ongoing experience of transnationalism. The concept of “reverse transnationalism”, originally proposed by King and Christou (2011), challenges traditional binaries of home and host countries, suggesting that returnees engage in dynamic, multi-directional flows of ideas, practices, and identities. So far, the limited literature on “reverse transnationalism” has focused on the returnees’ re-orientation to their host countries due to their dissatisfaction, disillusionment and disappointment in their ancestral homeland. The existing empirical research has often examined visits and the decision to re-return (or double return) as manifestations of reverse transnationalism. However, everyday practices and imaginings of such a reverse transnational orientation have not been fully explored. Furthermore, for the second generation and subsequent generations, the concepts of ‘hostland’ and ‘homeland’ can become blurry and return migration can denote a first-time migration to a country where they have symbolic ties rather than lived experiences – except temporary periods of transnational visits.
This panel seeks to explore the intersections of return migration and reverse transnationalism to offer fresh insights into how returnees navigate, negotiate, and transform the meaning of home. We welcome both theoretical and empirical papers which discuss and evaluate return migration as a circular and contested process rather than a linear and unidirectional one. We would like to open new areas of research within return migration studies which uncover how returnees reshape their social fields and their ancestral homeland communities by introducing transnational practices and identities. Whether returnees undertake further mobility or not, practices of reverse transnationalism may allow return migrants to unlock their “transcultural capital” (Meinhof and Triandafyllidou, 2006) and act as active agents of transnational change at different levels.
We are interested in papers focusing on the reverse transnationalism practices and imaginings of not only the first-generation migrants but also their descendants – the second generation, third generation and any generation in between. As stated, how different generations experience return migration and reverse transnationalism has the potential to further problematise the conceptualisation of return migration as a straightforward homecoming. Reverse transnationalism, in this context, captures the dynamic and reciprocal flows of ideas, practices, and cultural forms that second-generation or third-generation returnees bring back to their ancestral countries of origin. For instance, second-generation returnees often engage in entrepreneurial activities, leveraging the skills and knowledge acquired abroad to create new business ventures in their homeland. These businesses frequently blend elements from both the host and home countries, such as introducing new technologies, business models, or cultural products that may not have existed previously. This not only impacts local economies but also introduces new cultural norms and practices. Moreover, second-generation returnees often play a key role in social and cultural transformation. Their experiences abroad can lead to the promotion of new ideas about gender roles, human rights, education, and civic engagement within their ancestral communities. As they navigate their hybrid identities, they can become cultural brokers in their familial, social, educational and professional social spaces.
Submission Guidelines:
Please submit a 250-words abstract, as well as a title, author(s) name(s), institutional affiliation(s) and the email addresses of all authors. Please indicate if you wish to attend the conference in person or online. We intend to organise the panel in person.
Submissions should be sent no later than 15 September 2024 to
We aim to send notification of acceptance by 20 September 2024. We are looking forward to your contribution.