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We are exploring the crossroads of Migration and Technology

Translocal Lives offers a dedicated space for in-depth investigations into how technology intersects with migration. Through research, education, and practical projects spanning diverse settings, we delve into the complexities and contradictions of technology adoption by migrants. Our aim is to foster a nuanced understanding of the challenges posed by technology, as well as the innovative solutions that technological advancements can bring to the complex experiences and narratives of human mobility. By providing an inclusive platform and an archive, we encourage the exchange of knowledge and ideas to address the multidisciplinary challenges posed by migration and technology.

Our Three Lines of Work

With an aim to foster enhanced understanding and diverse perspectives on the intersections of migration and technology, Translocal Lives strives to create an inclusive space and an archive for the exchange of knowledge and ideas. We do this through three lines of work.

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Research Projects

We showcase research by early-career scholars, practitioners, and grassroots organizations  working on the intersection of migration and technology, along with their key findings and outcomes.

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Resources

We are creating a central hub for tools and guides to support research. These tools are designed to facilitate more robust, ethical, and reflective research practices and can be applied beyond the field of migration.

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Student Voices

We feature the perspectives of students by showcasing their insights on the topic of migration and technology. Our aim is to build a vibrant community that reflects on and discusses these crucial issues.

What do we stand for?

Co-producing and Sharing Knowledge

We prioritize opportunities for participatory work, including the ability of developing unique and relevant initiatives by affected communities. Participatory research approaches that prioritize lived experiences as the foundation for generating knowledge inherently disrupt and undermine the power hierarchies that typically shape knowledge production. These approaches encourage researchers to critically examine their own social positioning and the extent to which their perceived expertise dominates the knowledge generation process.

Reciprocity

Reciprocity helps ensure the research process and outcomes are more ethical and socially just. We prioritize research projects, resources, and initiatives that deliver tangible benefits to the participating individuals or community, such as improved access to resources, capacity building opportunities, or amplification of their voices and perspectives.

Self-reflexivity

Self-reflexivity: It's crucial to acknowledge that our social justice-oriented approaches and research can be misused or lead to unintended consequences, despite our good intentions (Leurs & Smets, 2018). As committed researchers, we must continuously examine our practices, biases, and the broader impact of our work. This self-awareness helps us anticipate potential misuse and take proactive steps to mitigate it, ensuring that our efforts remain aligned with social justice goals and do not cause unintended harm.

Resisting Reductive Categorizations

We recognize that categorizations of 'refugee' and 'migrant' are imbued with power dynamics, political agendas, and systems of inclusion and exclusion. Our ethical stance entails that we resist simplistic labeling and instead uplift the humanity, stories, and self-determined identities of those navigating migration.

Translocal Lives welcomes diverse voices from both within and outside academia.

This website aims to curate knowledge in shareable forms that showcase the work of early-career researchers, students, and grassroots organizations and actors.

Image by Jamie Street

Are you developing work on migration and technologies? Our Resources section might be of help!

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