Migration, Risk and Uncertainty

Migration is one of the driving forces of economic and social change in the modern world.It is both informed by risk and a generator of risk, whether for individuals, households, communities or societies. Although the relationship between migration and risk is widely acknowledged, it has long been neglected in academic research, with a few exceptions such as household diversification strategies. Instead, risk is assumed to be implicit in economic or social models, rather than being explicitly theorised or analysed. This book represents the first major review of these key relationships. It draws on a wide range of theories - from economics, psychology, sociology, anthropology and geography - and an equally broad range of empirical material, to provide a highly original overview.

1. Introduction 2. From the (Neo)Classical Approach to Prospect Theory 3. Behavioural Economics Approaches 4.Risk and Complexity: Decision Making Under Different Information Conditions 5. Households, Risk Diversification and Migration 6. Constructionist Approaches: Culture, Identities and Risk 7. The Role of Networks and Intermediaries in Mediating Risk 8. Migration, Society, Technology and the “Risk Society” 9. Migration Discourses in the Face of Risk 10. Engaging with Risk in Migration Policies

Allan M. Williams is Professor of Tourism and Mobility Studies in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Surrey. Vladimír Baláž is Research Professor with the Institute for Forecasting of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.