Journal Name:
- Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies
Key Words:
| Author Name | University of Author |
|---|---|
Abstract (2. Language):
By 1970s, Western societies have entered a new phase marked by a cultural, economic and
political transformation. These transformations in the economic realm as decrease in the
demand on human labor and flexibility in the mode of production also have serious
implications on the social, cultural and political areas, particularly on the volume and the
nature of migratory flows. Post-modern school of thought provides the basis for the most of
the arguments on the fore mentioned economic restructuration and its implications on
contemporary social phenomena. The macro level theories that explain the labor migration
from East to West and from South to North in the Fordist era, fall short in elaborating the
multi-faceted flows of different forms of migration. Desires for different life style and
opportunities, the images of the receiving societies and how the actors perceive the destined
lands, play important roles in individual choices for migration. These images and information
of various forms and kind are conveyed through mass media and Internet, which shape the
perceptions and identity formation of the prospective migrants. From this standpoint, the
main aim of this paper is to analyze the role and the way that perceptions, aspirations and
images play in actors’ decision making for migration. Within this context, by employing
Baudrillard’s conceptual framework, it will be argued that, in the universe of simulations,
migration and factors of migration become hyperrealities and images that have lost their
realities. By referring to Baudrillard’s concepts of simulacrum and simulation, it is intended
to explicate whether or not and how perceptions, desires, images constructed by individuals
stimulate migration. Within this context, the impact of direct personal communications, the
communication with symbols through material ownerships, and the impact of perceptions of
material symbols on individuals will be analyzed. Furthermore, how these perceptions effect
the decision making process for migration will be elaborated. For that purpose, an explorative
research was conducted in Emirdağ district and its surrounding villages. Emirdağ used to be
an important source of labor migration up until 1970s, still continues to be a major source of
migration in the form of chain migration especially to Belgium even though economic labor
migration to European countries has been halted for last three decades. In order to understand the main motives of the individuals and how the receiving societies are being
perceived and the images of the receiving lands are being constructed by the actors of
migration in the town, a series of semi-structured in-depth interviews are conducted with 44
participants, 24 women and 20 men from Emirdağ and its periphery.
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