The evolution of migration trajectories of sub-Saharan African migrants in Turkey and Greece: The role of changing social networks and critical events

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to expand knowledge about how middle class consumers in Sub-Saharan African markets behave, focusing on the potential role of social networks and the subsequent interactions that take place between these consumers and firms. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative research method approach comprising personal interviews and observations targeted at consumers and business executives was used covering all four countries. Findings – Key findings include identification of middle of the pyramid (MOP) social networks, their impact on consumer behaviour and nature of consumer and firm interactions that take place as a result of the impact of social networks. Research limitations/implications – The sample size was restricted to 80 consumers in each of the four countries. This might limit generalisability. Practical implications – The study provides managers with insights on the potential role of social networks on marketing to the MOP in Africa. Social implications – The study provides managers with insights on the potential opportunities for corporate social responsibility solutions at the MOP. Originality/value – Research into the middle class in markets other than western advanced economies is a relatively new area of study. The majority of studies on the middle class have focused on North America and Europe ignoring the merging middle class in Africa. Hence, this research expands knowledge by providing basis for exploring new insights on the emerging marketing opportunity within the middle class in Africa.

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Doing research with police elites in Ghana

Criminology & Criminal Justice ◽

10.1177/1748895818787022 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 19 (5) ◽

pp. 537-553 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Emmanuel Addo Sowatey ◽

Justice Tankebe

Keyword(s):

Social Networks ◽

Police Officers ◽

Cultural Practices ◽

Ethical Dilemmas ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Informal Social Networks ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Senior Officers

Much of our methodological insights from researching policing in sub-Saharan Africa comes from studies of frontline officers. Consequently, many important methodological questions about research on senior police officers remain unanswered. This article addresses this gap by drawing on insights from interviewing senior officers in Ghana. It focuses on the challenges and opportunities in negotiating access, establishing trust during interviews and dealing with ethical dilemmas. We highlight the role of informal social networks and cultural practices of surprise visits, what we have termed strategic ambush, in securing formal approval for our research. However, this represented mere or putative access for which deference towards institutional gatekeepers was key to its actualization. Deference towards officers and extensive knowledge of the policing environment helped to put the senior officers at ease, and enhanced the chances of a successful interview. Finally, we offer reflections on our responses to unexpected ethical dilemmas that we faced in the field.

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The role of mobility in sexual risk behaviour and HIV acquisition among sub-Saharan African migrants residing in two European cities

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0228584 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. e0228584 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sónia Dias ◽

Ana Gama ◽

Jasna Loos ◽

Luis Roxo ◽

Daniel Simões ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Risk ◽

Risk Behaviour ◽

Sexual Risk Behaviour ◽

European Cities ◽

African Migrants ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Hiv Acquisition

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In transit: Changing social networks of sub-Saharan African migrants in Turkey and Greece

Social Networks ◽

10.1016/j.socnet.2017.03.005 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 53 ◽

pp. 30-41 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Marieke Wissink ◽

Valentina Mazzucato

Keyword(s):

Social Networks ◽

African Migrants ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

In Transit

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African Migrant Narratives, Modern Slavery, and Human Rights Violations in Libya

Handbook of Research on the Global Impact of Media on Migration Issues - Advances in Media, Entertainment, and the Arts ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-0210-5.ch004 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 48-67

Author(s):

Lady Adaina Ajayi ◽

Anijesushola O. Ajayi ◽

Sheriff F. Folarin ◽

Abdulrahman Oluwaseyi Tiamiyu ◽

Chioma Eucharia Nnajidema ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

Human Rights Violations ◽

Research Approach ◽

Human Right ◽

African Migrants ◽

Modern Slavery ◽

African Migrant ◽

The Media ◽

Sub Saharan

Libya has served as the entrepôt for the modern slave trade from Africa to Europe for many decades. In recent years, however, international bodies, as well as the media, have raised deep concerns on the unimaginable horrors Sub-Saharan African migrants are forced to witness and experience during their stay and transit through Libya. It is against this background that this study through the ‘narrative research approach' sought to examine the various patterns of human rights violations experienced by African migrants in Libya as well as the role of the media in exposing the horrific trends of modern slavery. The study finds horrific patterns of human right violations perpetuated by both state and non-state actors in Libya. In addition, the media has played significant roles in serving as a major and reliable source of information on this phenomenal migration of the new age as well as a mediating body between policymakers and migrants. However, the complacency of governments whose citizens have and are being abused represents a more complex migration issue that needs to be addressed.

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Mobilities and Sediments: Spatial Dynamics in the Context of Contemporary Sub-Saharan African Migration to Europe

African Diaspora ◽

10.1163/18725457-12341234 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 117-142 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Joris Schapendonk

Keyword(s):

Spatial Dynamics ◽

The European Union ◽

African Migrants ◽

The North ◽

Starting Point ◽

Transit Migration ◽

African Migration ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

The Eu

Abstract Contemporary African migration to the European Union (EU) is triggered by global interconnectedness, but at the same time it is opposed by the hard borders of the EU. As a consequence, sub-Saharan African migrants often undertake fragmented and dangerous journeys to the North. These journeys are mainly discussed with regard to the rather linear notion of transit migration (as if migrants depart, go through a transit phase and settle afterwards). In this paper I take a different perspective by approaching migrants’ journeys as open and dynamic phenomena that evolve ‘en route’. I present an analytical lens that takes different mobilities (of people, goods, information, etc.) as the starting point to investigate these migration journeys. With this mobilities lens I analyze in detail three trajectories of African migrants who are moving to the EU. In order to avoid a simple ‘everything is mobile’ argument, I subsequently explore the role of the geographical concept of ‘place’ in the facilitation of these migration journeys. I thereby take into account places as geographical localities as well as migrants’ places in their social networks. Finally, I illustrate how mobilities, in turn, bring their ‘sediments’. This means that they change and give meaning to places. This reciprocal way of relating mobilities to places helps us to go beyond both individualistic and structuralistic explanations of migration.

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