The important role women play in the process of migration to the Western bloc -- and in particular to Southern Europe where they often find jobs in the domestic service, tourist or sex industries -- has been increasingly recognized. This timely book provides essential new insights into the forms of migration and the impact of gender relations on the migration and accommodation process, and also raises general conceptual issues about ways of understanding migration in a global context. At a time when all the member states of the European Union have called for a reduction in immigration in response to its steady growth, the urgency of the topic is apparent. Contributors examine the possible legal, social and economic problems that increased immigration may produce, including: * female migration and its relation to changing gender relations in the country of migration; * different forms of exclusion faced by male and female migrants; working conditions and status; * migrant networks; * and women's role in reproducing and maintaining ethnic culture.
This book will be essential reading for courses in migration, nationalism, Mediterranean and area studies, gender studies and a range of social science courses. It will also be of use to policy makers and those interested in European developments.