Original scientific paper
Migration and Social Structure
Milan Mesić
; Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The author proceeds from the standpoint that one cannot fully treat the social (class) structure of contemporary Yugoslav society without discussing the factor of migration, especially external migration. As there are no fundamental studies in this field, the paper is conceived as an outline for research. It is a critical discussion of various theses on the entity of migrants, especially of the theory that they are a (permanent) part of the society of emigration and its class (ideological) sequel that (e)migrants are a constitutive part of (one and the same) working class. The author claims that external labour migration has influenced the social structure of Yugoslav society not only in a quantitative but in a qualitative sense as well, particularly with regard to the (non) establishment of the Yugoslav working class. In conclusion, the author states that the Yugoslav migration policy should be critically re-examined, not only from the position of the sending country's interests, but above all with regard to the interests of migrants themselves. It is emphasized that migration science remains to be formulated on a multidisciplinary basis from this position.
Keywords
external migration; social structure; migration policy; Yugoslavia
Hrčak ID:
128515
URI
Publication date:
29.5.1987.
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