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Nodes of inclusion and exclusion: media, contexto and the shaping of contemporary movements across the Atlantic

Rosales, Marta Vilar

Abstract

This chapter is based on a comparative ethnographic research project addressing the migration movements across the Atlantic between four cities (Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Lisbon and Porto), from 2011 to 2015, and their intersections with the movements of things (Appadurai 1988) across the same routes. The project examined all four cities as both sites of departure and destination. This theoretical and methodological option aspired to challenge the dominant assumptions concerning power relationships and their impact on migration trends between South American and European countries, in general; and simultaneously tackle present day post-colonial relationships between Portugal and Brazil, in particular. The movements of people and things were explored at three levels of analysis. The first (macro) aimed at identifying and contextualising the major lines that define and delimit these movements between the four cities, exploring how and to what extent they feed, compete and/or complement each other. The second (mezzo) investigated the specificities of each city as point of arrival and departure. Thirdly (micro), the impact of movement on identity and belonging was looked into through the analysis of domestic material culture and consumption practices.

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Nodes o inclusion and exclusion: media, con ex and he shaping o con empo a y mo emen s ac oss he A lan ic Ma a Vila Rosales 7. 162 ambiguous inclusions: inside ou , ou side in in oduc ion This chap e is based on a compa a i e e hnog aphic esea ch p ojec 1 add essing he mig a ion mo emen s ac oss he A lan ic be ween ou ci ies (Rio de Janei o, São Paulo, Lisbon and Po o), om 2011 o 2015, and hei in e sec ions wi h he mo emen s o hings (Appadu ai 1988) ac oss he same ou es. The p ojec examined all ou ci ies as bo h si es o depa u e and des ina ion. This heo e ical and me hodological op ion aspi ed o challenge he dominan assump ions conce ning powe ela ionships and hei impac on mig a ion ends be ween Sou h Ame ican and Eu opean coun ies, in gene al; and simul aneously ackle p esen day pos -colonial ela ionships be ween Po ugal and B azil, in pa icula . The mo emen s o people and hings we e explo ed a h ee le els o analysis. The i s (mac o) aimed a iden i ying and con ex ualising he majo lines ha de ine and delimi hese mo emen s be ween he ou ci ies, explo ing how and o wha ex en hey eed, compe e and/o complemen each o he . The second (mezzo) in es iga ed he speci ici ies o each ci y as poin o a i al and depa u e. Thi dly (mic o), he impac o mo emen on iden i y and belonging was looked in o h ough he analysis o domes ic ma e ial cul u e and consump ion p ac ices. This chap e will only ocus on a e y speci ic dimension o he A lan ic ansi s explo ed in he esea ch p ojec . I will examine he ole o he media in gene al, and o social media in pa icula , in gene a ing and dissemina ing in o ma ion and knowledge p oduced by Po uguese and B azilian media co po a ions (majo newspape s and news agencies). How his in o ma ion and knowledge has con ibu ed o shape and p omo e hese ou ci ies as a ac i e se ling loca ions o signi ican con ingen s o he Po uguese and B azilian middle classes will hen be analysed. mig a ion in he age o global ci cula ion The ci cula ion o hings, images, money, knowledge, media, in o ma ion and, in pa icula , people is one o he mos isible a eas o inqui y in he social sciences. F om examina ions o ansna ionalism and cosmopoli anism o 1 A lan ic c ossings: ma e iali y, con empo a y mo emen s and policies o belonging. Resea ch P ojec unded by c (p dc/cs-an /119803/2010). con empo a y mo emen s ac oss he a lan ic 163 ecen heo ies o mobili y, social sciences con inue o de o e special a en ion o he impac o human mo emen bo h in p esen day subjec i e expe ience and social ins i u ions, as well as on how subjec s and ins i u ions de elop s a egies o ame, con ol and make sense o i . The emphasis on mig a ion, and on i s causes and impac , is pa ially he esul o he ac ha p esen day human mobili y, bo h in in e na ional and na ional scales is, acco ding o he Uni ed Na ions2, a i s highes le els in eco ded human his o y. This si ua ion has p omp ed he public deba e o he heme, as well as poli ical, economic and social esponses, which y o cap u e, ca ego ise and o de he inc easing di e si y o ou es, scales, empo ali ies and in ensi ies o human mo ion. Hence, and e en i s asis is by a he mos egula expe ience in he li e o he g ea majo i y o he wo ld popula ion, schola s ha e esponded o his new pic u e and a e wo king o iden i y al e na i e app oaches o add ess mo ion and i s (ex a) o dina y e ec s on con empo a y collec i e li e. Social heo y p esen s us oday wi h an ex ensi e collec ion o concep s o cap u e and desc ibe “ hose on he mo e”, which s and as possible al e na i es o he classical concep o “ he mig an ”.3 Howe e , and despi e he e m in use, all mig an s (and a elle s, expa ia es o cosmopoli ans) and hei aspi a ions, belie s and p ac ices in eg a e a ious spa ial ne wo ks and empo al linkages. This ac unde lines he complexi y o con empo a y mig a ions’ mul iple laye s and dimensions, and d aws a en ion o he impo ance o he speci ici ies (Mo ley 2002) en ailed in each pa icula expe ience. In eali y, all mig a ions a e g ounded on de ails wi h e e ence o: who a els and who s ays; when, how and in wha ci cums ances does he i s jou ney occu , as well as he o he s who ollow and o s ay; wha his o ic, economic, poli ical and cul u al condi ions ma k he spaces c ossed and he ajec o ies a elled; wha is he impac o he jou ney o e ime on pe sonal biog aphies; and how a e new and old ela ionships and ne wo ks cha ac e ised, along wi h he managing and displaying o belonging and a ec ion. The “ ansna ional u n” (Ve o ec 2007) in oduced signi ican changes in he deba e abou he a icula ion o hese se e al dimensions o mig a ion. 2 Rio+20 (2012) – Uni ed Na ions Con e ence on sus ainable de elopmen . 3 The Uni ed Na ions Mig a ion Agency, he In e na ional O ganisa ion o Mig a ion, de ines a mig an as any pe son who is mo ing o has mo ed ac oss an in e na ional bo de o wi hin a S a e away om hei habi ual place o esidence, ega dless o (1) he pe son’s legal s a us; (2) whe he he mo emen is olun a y o in olun a y; (3) wha he causes o he mo emen a e; o (4) wha he leng h o he s ay is. 164 ambiguous inclusions: inside ou , ou side in I d ew a en ion o he ac ha mos mig an s main ain and manage hei li es in spaces ha go beyond na ional bo de s (Glick Schille 1995), and o he impo ance o including wi hin he analy ical amewo k how ins i u ions and s a es inco po a e hese mo emen s and ela ions in o de o con ol and manage hem. Family and amily ies eme ged as especially signi ican in he s uc u ing o ansna ional ne wo ks and ela ions. T ansna ionalism d ew esea ch away om app oaches po aying hose who mig a ed as passi e eac o s o he con ex s and e en s ha amed hei jou neys, p omo ing an al e na i e esea ch agenda ocused on mig a ion expe iences (Rosales 2017). Nowadays, in ac , a ious au ho s equen ly ocus on cen al aspec s o hese expe iences and, pa icula ly, on he impo ance o explo ing he disconnec ions be ween he idealised, and o en sha ed, plans and expec a ions e e y mig a ion expe ience in ol es om he e y beginning, and he subjec i e and objec i e condi ions ha hose who mo e and hose who s ay ac ually expe ience. Tackling and compa ing he mig an ’s imagined s a es and expec a ions wi h he na a i es and obse a ions o hei daily ou ines, pe cep ions and posi ioning s a egies (Rosales 2012) became, he e o e, a c ucial opic o analysis. I gene a ed p oduc i e lenses o explo e p esen day mul iple o ms o mo emen as cul u al and social p ocesses. Hence, mig a ion is inc easingly add essed h ough eligion, ma e ial cul u e, media, ood and many o he subjec ma e s, whose in e sec ions wi h human mo emen s a e decisi e in i s unde s anding, besides p omo ing dialogue be ween ci cula ion and s illness in con empo a y socie ies. The ela ionship be ween mo ion and s asis con inues o challenge his ield o s udy. Mo emen , and especially ansna ional mo emen , is a om being unp oblema ic in con empo a y socie ies. In ac , and in spi e o he cu en in ensi ica ion and globalisa ion o human ci cula ion, mos o he wo ld’s popula ion li es all hei li e in a ela i ely ixed and ecognisable e i o y (Mo ley 2002). Fo many people, mo eo e , he possibili y o mo ing con inues o be impossible; while o o he s, i has become less necessa y due o de elopmen s in ic echnologies and in as uc u es. Ci cula ion, he e o e, needs o be seen wi hin a ame ha is b oad enough o include, no only ansience and mo ion, bu also all he mo e s able and s a ic dimensions o communal li e. A signi ican numbe o heo e ical con ibu ions ha e been consis en ly highligh ing he cen ali y o communi y, kinship, esidence and all o he mo e o less s able o ms o a ilia ion and belonging (Po zano ić F yman con empo a y mo emen s ac oss he a lan ic 165 2015; Fo ie 2000 and Ga dne 2002) in mig a ion con ex s. This end has p o ed o be p oduc i e in in eg a ing human mobili y in a pic u e ha anscends mo emen i sel and is big enough o e ocus he discussion on he main s uc u es shaping social li e and how hey eac , adjus and inco po a e he inc easingly complex eali y o p esen day ci cula ion. con empo a y a lan ic c ossings be ween po ugal and b azil The i s s age o A lan ic C ossings’ ieldwo k was o in e iew 100 people who had mig a ed o and om one o he ou ci ies he esea ch was based on; while he second s age ca ied ou pa icipan obse a ion wi h 5 amilies in each se ing. The g oups o esponden s om he wo B azilian ci ies we e mainly composed o skilled young Po uguese p o essionals, hal o hem ma ied and wi h young child en. Mos o hese indi iduals had been o B azil be o e mig a ion, as s uden s and/o ou is s, and claimed o know he coun y in gene al, and he ci y hey choose o se le in ela i ely well. Fo all o hem, mig a ion was a new expe ience, in he sense ha unlike many o hei co-ci izens who had mig a ed o B azil in p e ious mig a ion wa es, hei amilies did no ha e any p io mig a ion expe ience. The Po uguese amilies depic hei mig a ion o he wo B azilian ci ies as a decision esul ing om choice a he han om need. In ac , mos subjec s esis being de ined as mig an s and p e e o use e ms such as expa , o eigne o a elle o de ine hei s a us in B azil. Lea ing one’s coun y o o igin is, in hei iew, an en iching li e expe ience and/o a signi ican s age in hei ansi ion om you h o adul hood. In ac , all subjec s conside mo emen , i. e. he abili y o being mobile, an impo an , almos impe a i e, li e dimension o oday’s global eali y. Mig a ion, and especially economic mig a ion, howe e , is no e alua ed he same way. This is why all subjec s d aw a clea di iding line be ween hem and hei social posi ion in Rio de Janei o and São Paulo socie y oday, and he o he Po uguese mig an s who a i ed in B azil many yea s ago o, acco ding o hem, escape po e y. A simila s ance is exp essed conce ning all o he mig an s o igina ing bo h om o he non-Eu opean and non-No h Ame ican loca ions. This dominan pe cep ion is u he ein o ced by a second, which pic u es hei mobili y expe ience as a highly in es ed and planned ad en u e, he e o e esul ing only om hei agency. 166 ambiguous inclusions: inside ou , ou side in Howe e , i mo emen is s a egically o ganised and p epa ed, and i s ou comes ca e ully calcula ed and con olled, i can also be desc ibed as a p e en i e mechanism o escape downwa d mobili y, p eca iousness and ma e ial loss. The economic c isis he coun y has been acing since 2008 was a majo opic o conce n o all amilies, e en i none o hem was, in hei wo ds, expe iencing eal di icul ies a he ime hey decided o mig a e. This aspec in oduces a conse a i e no e in how mig a ion is pic u ed and expe ienced by mos subjec s in he g oup, which is o en con eyed in he sen ence: I decided o lea e Po ugal be o e some hing bad happened o me o my amily. The second g oup o subjec s, wi hin he i s s age o esea ch, c ossed he A lan ic in he opposi e di ec ion om he i s g oup and se led in Lisbon and Po o. Like he i s , his g oup is mos ly made up o young skilled wo ke s and pos -g adua e s uden s who choose a Po uguese uni e si y o con inue hei s udies. Howe e , and in clea con as wi h he i s g oup, he subjec s coming om B azil openly claim o be mig an s in Po ugal, e en i hei mig an condi ion is, in some cases, nuanced by di e se explana ions. In ac , some o he subjec s explici ly s essed ha , in hei own wo ds, being a mig an in Po ugal is a empo a y condi ion since hey we e planning o apply o ci izenship, and o he s a gued ha hey li ed in cons an ansi be ween B azil and Po ugal, which made hem somewha di e en om egula B azilian mig an s. Like he i s g oup, hese subjec s also ca e ully planned hei mig a ion, wi h high in es men in hei ajec o ies. This is especially e iden in he cases o hose who came o wo k in Lisbon and Po o, bu also wi h hose who ha e mig a ed o con inue hei s udies. All subjec s said hey had ca e ully ga he ed a la ge amoun o in o ma ion abou Po ugal and he Po uguese legal sys em, as well as abou Lisbon and Po o as places o li e. All o hem claimed o ha e a good knowledge o he coun y and i s ins i u ions, e en i his was hei i s expe ience in Po ugal o mos . The ac ha bo h g oups said hey had ca e ully planned hei jou ney o he B azilian and Po uguese ci ies highligh ed he po en ial signi icance o he media in con empo a y mig a ion expe iences, as bo h a esea ch ield o ga he in o ma ion abou key aspec s o e e yday li e ab oad and as an ins umen o e alua ing he possibili y o pa icula places mee ing pe sonal aspi a ions and allowing p esen and u u e goals o be accomplished. Media analysis also p o ed impo an in explo ing a second dimension di ec ly ela ed o he i s : eeding p ospec i e mig an imagina ion by p omo ing con empo a y mo emen s ac oss he a lan ic 167 idealised ep esen a ions o some des ina ions and ad e se ep esen a ions o o he s. The esul s o he i s s age o he esea ch showed ha all subjec s ha e used a signi ican a ie y o media o ga he in o ma ion and do esea ch on p ospec i e des ina ions conce ning hei pe sonal mig a ion. The media was used bo h be o e and a e a inal decision was made conce ning he coun y and he ci y o emig a e o. E en i hese esul s a e signi ican pe se, i is impo an o no e ha he ques ionnai e also e ealed ha subjec s con inued o use o he e y classical sou ces o in o ma ion in mig a ion con ex s: amily and iends. The impo ance o social ne wo ks (e. g. amily, iends, colleagues, iends o iends) is especially isible when i comes o e alua ing he eliabili y o he in o ma ion ga he ed. E en i media con en was ne e conside ed non- eliable, mos subjec s explained ha i was o en compa ed wi h ma e ial ga he ed h ough o he (also eliable) sou ces o in o ma ion. mig a ion in he media: he po uguese and b azilian p ess The i s s age o he esea ch p oduced ex ensi e in o ma ion ega ding media uses. Acco ding o he da a ga he ed, mos subjec s said hey had made use o ex ensi e sou ces o in o ma ion, such as , p in ed media, adio and he In e ne (e. g. webpages, blogs, social media, e c.) o in es iga e hei p ospec i e des ina ions. Acco ding o he esul s, he mos signi ican sou ce o in o ma ion o bo h g oups was he In e ne , ollowed by p in ed media. Howe e , when asked which si es we e consul ed, he online e sions o he mos p ominen B azilian and Po uguese newspape s and magazines s ood ou . This esul illus a es he signi icance o he media o bo h g oups and con i ms he endency owa ds a conse a i e posi ion conce ning he eliabili y o da a, which was al eady e idenced by he impo ance a ibu ed o amily and iends as in o ma ion sou ces. The subjec s in bo h g oups said hey we e in e es ed in a wide ange o opics, when looking o in o ma ion in he media di ec ly ela ed o hei des ina ion coun y and ci y. These opics anged om s uc u al aspec s, such as he B azilian and Po uguese heal h sys ems and se ices, job ma ke s, secu i y policies, housing, schools and school sys ems; o mo e subjec i e ma e s, such as he a s and cul u e scenes, leisu e ac i i ies o cos o li ing, amongs o he s. 168 ambiguous inclusions: inside ou , ou side in The ac ha he in o ma ion had been p oduced and displayed by adi ional and epu able newspape s o magazines len i , acco ding o he subjec s, i no he same alue in e ms o c edibili y as he da a di ec ly ob ained om iends and amily, a leas a sign o quali y and consis ency ha mos o he o he sou ces, in hei wo ds, maybe did no o e . This was he main eason o analyse he online e sions o p in ed newspape s and magazines, which was no a i s included in he esea ch plan. Howe e , i s ecu en p esence in he subjec s’ discou se abou he ou ci ies and wha hey had o o e as mig a ion des ina ions, i. e. wo king and li ing condi ions, ecep i i y owa ds o eign ci izens and mig an s, educa ion and heal h oppo uni ies and cons ain s, his o ies o success and mis o une, as well as in e na ional mig a ion in gene al, led o i . The sample included he online edi ion o a la ge collec ion o Po uguese and B azilian newspape s. All he jou nalism dealing wi h in e na ional mig a ion wi h a special ocus on mig a o y ends in Po ugal and B azil, in gene al, and on he mo emen s be ween he ou ci ies, in pa icula , we e e ained. The ime ame analysis was, o he Po uguese p ess, om July 2013 o Sep embe 2014; and o he B azilian p ess, om Ap il 2013 o Sep embe 2014. The esea ch ga he ed a o al o 307 pieces ha we e subjec ed o con en analysis and classi ied acco ding o hei ele ance o he p ojec . F om hese, 213 we e om Po uguese newspape s and 94 om B azilian. The sample included bo h ee and es ic ed access p ess4 and was ep esen a i e o he mos enowned newspape s and magazines in bo h coun ies. The media con en analysis was based on 14 p e-de ined gene al opics, which eme ged bo h om p elimina y in e iews wi h he subjec s and om li e a u e esea ch. he ma e o in e na ional mig a ion: he b azilian p ess The mos isible opic eme ging om he news sample o B azilian p ess is no he A lan ic C ossings o Po uguese people seeking a be e li e in B azil, bu he Hai ian mig a ion. The low be ween Po ugal and B azil was, howe e , he second mos signi ican heme (15) in all he B azilian p ess a icles dealing di ec ly wi h immig a ion. These a icles a e signi ican ly di e se and deal wi h a wide a ie y o opics, such as: he main enance o Po uguese cul u al 4 Subsc ibed access. con empo a y mo emen s ac oss he a lan ic 169 opics po uguese media 213 (n) b azilian media 94 (n) Mig a ion o al Po ./B azil B azil/Po . Mig a ion o al Po ./B azil B azil/Po . Flows 52 (24.4%) 9 (17.0%) 32 (16.6%) 4 (17.39%) Illegali y 22 (10.3%) 7 (13.2%) 18 (9.38%) ——— His o ical ela ionships 6 (2.8%) 2 (3.8%) 8 (4.7%) 1 (4.34%) Employmen (gene al) 8 (3.8%) ——— 10 (5.21%) 1 (4.34%) p eca iousness 8 (3.8%) 3 (5.7%) 8 (4.17%) ——— en ep eneu ship 8 (3.8%) 3 (5.7%) 3 (1.56%) ——— unskilled labou 9 (4.2%) 1 (1.9%) 2 (1.04%) ——— skilled labou 42 (19.7%) 9 (17.0%) 13 (6.67%) 3 (13.04%) emune a ion 4 (1.9%) 2 (3.8%) ——— ——— C ime 36 (16.9%) 13 (24.5%) 4 (2.08%) 2 (8.69%) In eg a ion 17 (8.0%) 1 (1.9%) 3 (1.56%) 2 (8.69%) Re u n mig a ion 7 (3.3%) 1 (1.9%) 1 (0.52%) ——— Economy (gene al) 7 (3.3%) 3 (5.7%) ——— ——— c isis 24 (11.3%) 4 (7.5%) 11 (5.73% 1 (4.34%) social mobili y 1 (0.5%) 1 (1.9%) 2 (1.04% ——— emi ances 8 (3.8%) 4 (7.5%) 5 (2.6%) ——— sec o s/expo s 1 (0.5%) 1 (1.9%) ——— ——— public/p i a e ag eemen s 7 (3.3%) 3 (5.7%) 5 (2.6%) 2 (8.69%) Cul u al cos s 1 (0.5%) 1 (1.9%) 4 (2.08) 1 (4.34%) Cul u al e e ences 7 (3.3%) 3 (5.7%) 11 (5.73% 4 (17.39%) Mig a ion policies 15 (7.0%) 3 (5.7%) 9 (4.69%) ——— a ac ion 26 (12.2%) 8 (15.1%) 6 (3.13%) 2 (8.69%) con ainmen 13 (6.1%) ——— 1 (0.52%) ——— suppo ——— ——— 18 (9.38% ——— Demog aphy 24 (11.3%) 2 (3.8%) 9 (4.69%) ——— Xenophobia/disc imina ion 3 (1.56%) ——— Table 7.1 Mig a ion in Po uguese and B azilian Media