Nationality Policies and the Migratory Experience in the Early 20th Century
Politiques de la nationalité et expérience migratoire (premier XXe siècle)
Revue “Diasporas. Circulations, Migrations, Histoire”
Revue « Diasporas. Circulations, Migrations, Histoire »
Published on Tuesday, July 30, 2024
Abstract
This thematic issue of Diasporas. Circulations, Migrations, Histoire journal aims to examine mechanisms of loss and deprivation of nationality, as well as operations aimed at requalifying the boundary between nationals and non-nationals through citizenship rights, while paying close attention to the effects of these procedures on migrants’ experiences. We welcome interdisciplinary contributions that incorporate theoretical and methodological approaches from diverse fields such as law, political science, geography, anthropology, and sociology, enriching historical perspectives. Articles must adopt an empirical methodological approach. We welcome proposals that focus on non-Western contexts.
Announcement
Argument
The first half of the twentieth century was marked by the intensification of migratory flows and the reconfiguration of borders in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Wars and post-war periods redrew maps, altered borders, and provoked massive population movements. Amidst this backdrop of conflict and territorial changes, nationality and the concept of national belonging acquired new dimensions. While the nineteenth century marked a major turning point in the development of legislation and political and administrative practices relating to belonging in Europe and North America, the Great War had a decisive influence on representations of “enemies within” and “foreigners” and played on the political registers of “loyalty” and “merit”. This configuration instigated movements and pushed individuals, families, and groups to migrate.
The thematic issue “Nationality Policies and the Migratory Experience in the Early 20th Century” aims to examine mechanisms of loss and deprivation of nationality, as well as operations aimed at requalifying the boundary between nationals and non-nationals through citizenship rights, while paying close attention to the effects of these procedures on migrants’ experiences. The aim is to analyze the impact of nationality policies on migratory trajectories and to question how, in return, the migration of victims targeted by these procedures contributes to redefining the terms and forms of national belonging. Focusing on different national and imperial contexts, this call encourages examination of the politics of nationality through the prism of the migratory experience in the first half of the twentieth century. Our goal is to investigate these policies and the processes of (re)definition of population categories, in a period marked by colonialism, the two world wars, and the emergence of supranational institutions.
By articulating the historiography of migration, the legal categories, and the historiography of persecution, we aim to explore how migration influences nationality and, in turn, how nationality impacts migration, using a comparative and transnational perspective. We encourage proposals that address the following themes:
- Norms and Procedures for Deprivation of Nationality and Denaturalization: From both a top-down and bottom-up perspective, the proposals may examine how these norms and procedures are produced by national and/or imperial institutions and how individuals use them to negotiate and circumvent them. We aim for proposals to examine nationality itself and its impact across various domains, including labor, such as through the nationalization of hiring criteria.
- Transposition of Legal Regulations (from Local to International): Proposals may also question the circulation of norms and regulations and their local adaptations, particularly focusing on legal plurality in imperial and colonial contexts.
- Individual and Collective Strategies: Our aim is to examine the ways in which individuals, families, and groups—professional, associative, religious, etc.—navigate these contexts by analyzing the various means used, such as mobilizing networks of acquaintances, petitions to authority, false papers, etc. Proposals focusing on the strategies deployed by individuals—departure, change of nationality, negotiation of status, requests, etc.—in response to the constraints imposed by law and institutions are most welcome.
- Allegiances and Loyalties: Persecutions and conflicts are instances when the allegiances and loyalties of individuals and families are challenged and put on the test. Persecutions are justified by authorities in the name of a loyalty deficit, while individuals and families denounce them in the name of their loyalty to the state. Proposals may analyze how criteria defining the 'good national’ or ‘ideal citizen' were established during these periods and how they were interpreted by various stakeholders.
We welcome interdisciplinary contributions that incorporate theoretical and methodological approaches from diverse fields such as law, political science, geography, anthropology, and sociology, enriching historical perspectives. Articles must adopt an empirical methodological approach. We welcome proposals that focus on non-Western contexts.
Editors of the issue
- Elif Becan, Université Paris Nanterre
- Marie Bossaert, Université Clermont Auvergne
- Thomas Chopard, EHESS
Submission guidelines
Authors are invited to send an abstract (approximately 600 words), specifying their university affiliation, with “Thematic Issue Diasporas” in the subject line, to:
- aebecan@parisnanterre.fr
- marie.bossaert@uca.fr
- thomas.chopard@ehess.fr
by September 30, 2024.
- Authors whose proposals are accepted by the editorial board will be invited to submit a full article by March 1, 2025, for publication in early 2026.
- Submissions and publications are accepted in either English or French.
- Please check the Diasporas. Circulations, Migrations, Histoire editorial criteria: https://journals.openedition.org/diasporas/210
Subjects
- History (Main category)
- Society > Geography > Migration, immigration, minorities
- Society > Political studies > Wars, conflicts, violence > Genocides and massacres
- Periods > Modern > Twentieth century > 1914-1918
- Periods > Modern > Twentieth century > 1918-1939
- Periods > Modern > Twentieth century > 1939-1945
- Zones and regions > Europe
- Society > Political studies > Wars, conflicts, violence
Date(s)
- Monday, September 30, 2024
Attached files
Keywords
- nationalité, perte de la nationalité, rejet de naturalisation, administration, action publique, catégorisation, discrimination, migration internationale, réfugiés, déplacement forcé
Contact(s)
- Marie Bossaert
courriel : marie [dot] bossaert [at] uca [dot] fr - Elif Becan
courriel : aebecan [at] parisnanterre [dot] fr - Thomas Chopard
courriel : thomas [dot] chopard [at] ehess [dot] fr
Reference Urls
Information source
- Elif Becan
courriel : aebecan [at] parisnanterre [dot] fr
License
This announcement is licensed under the terms of Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal.
To cite this announcement
« Nationality Policies and the Migratory Experience in the Early 20th Century », Call for papers, Calenda, Published on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, https://doi.org/10.58079/123xv
