GRINE

Until recently, much research in the field of migration tended to assume that the migrant was young, male and heterosexual. One widespread image was of a man who worked in another country for a given period in part to support a family located elsewhere.

However, looking around many European cities, it is evident that this image no longer fits the reality (if it ever did). For example, in Florence, it is commonplace to see young Filipinos caring for elderly Italians, Chinese workers in the textile and catering industries, and men from Africa and Eastern Europe working on building sites. In addition, and what is less visible, are the increasing numbers of women working, amongst other things, in the domestic sphere.

The project seeks to rethink who is the subject of migration in the light of recent changes, and to challenge the assumptions of gender relations that underpinned some formerly dominant images (ie male providers and female carers).

This research is interdisciplinary, combining theoretical, historical, and juridical approaches, and involving scholars from a range of disciplines.