Beyond a Border: The Causes and Consequences of Contemporary Immigration

The most up-to-date analysis of today’s immigration issues

As the authors state in Chapter 1, "the movement of people across national borders represents one of the most vivid dramas of social reality in the contemporary world." This comparative text examines contemporary immigration across the globe, focusing on 20 major nations. Noted scholars Peter Kivisto and Thomas Faist introduce students to important topics of inquiry at the heart of the field, including

Movement: Explores the theories of migration using a historical perspective of the modern world.
Settlement: Provides clarity concerning the controversial matter of immigrant incorporation and refers to the varied ways immigrants come to be a part of a new society.
Control: Focuses on the politics of immigration and examines the role of states in shaping how people choose to migrate.

Key Features

• Provides comprehensive coverage of topics not covered in other texts, such as state and immigration control, focusing on policies created to control migratory flow and evolving views of citizenship
• Offers a global portrait of contemporary immigration, including a demographic overview of today’s cross-border movers
• Offers critical assessments of the achievements of the field to date
• Encourages students to rethink traditional views about the distinction between citizen and alien in this global age
• Suggests paths for future research and new theoretical developments

Beyond a Border is a part of the SAGE Pine Forge Sociology for a New Century Series. It offers professors a powerful and timely option to incorporate the topic of immigration in their courses.

Contributor to the SAGE Teaching Innovations and Professional Development Award

Peter Kivisto is Richard A. Swanson Professor of Social Thought and Chair of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Welfare at Augustana College and Finland Distinguished Professor at the University of Turku. His current research involves a collaborative project on multiculturalism with colleagues in Finland. His interests include immigration, social integration, citizenship, and religion. Among his recent books are Key Ideas in Sociology (2011), Illuminating Social Life (2011); Beyond a Border: The Causes and Consequences of Contemporary Immigration (2010, with Thomas Faist); Citizenship: Discourse, Theory and Transnational Prospects (2007, with Thomas Faist); and Intersecting Inequalities (2007, with Elizabeth Hartung). He serves on the editorial boards of Contexts, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Journal of Intercultural Studies, and on the Publication Committee for Sociology of Religion.

Thomas Faist* is Professor of Transnational and Development Studies at the Department of Sociology, Bielefeld University. His research interests focus on international migration, immigrant integration, citizenship, social policy and development studies. He held visiting professorships at Malmö University and the University of Toronto.

Currently, his work centers on environmental degradation and migration, and on the transnational social question. Thomas Faist serves on the editorial board of The Sociological Quarterly, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Migration Letters, and South Asian Diaspora. He recently published "Dual Citizenship in Europe: From Nationhood to Social Integration" (Ashgate 2007), "Citizenship: Theory, Discourse and Transnational Prospects", with Peter Kivisto, Blackwell 2008), and "The Europeanization of National Immigration Politics and Policies" (Palgrave Macmillan 2007)