Border Shifts - (Frontiers of Globalization) by N Ribas-Mateos (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Are borders passive sites where structure prevails? Are they an ordinary type of social filter? What does it mean today to have a Moroccan coffee shop in front of the Museum of the Exile in La Jonquera, Spain? The classic open-closed dichotomy of borders has become outdated. A more complex and multifaceted approach and understanding is now required. Through an analysis of new mobilities within the European Union and controls at, amongst others, the US-Mexico border, Border Shifts sheds light on the changing nature of national and regional boundaries in Europe and beyond. By identifying and examining the contradictory functions of boundaries in the EU, Ribas-Mateos explores the multiplicity of borders. She shows how borders can be simultaneously open and closed, delving into their varying degrees of permeability and highlighting the fact that borders in a global context are not simply unbounded but strategically rebounded. The ambiguity of contemporary borders is examined in depth by considering border spaces and cities both within and outside of the EU, specifically looking at the mobilities that they create or deny"--Page 4 of cover.

Book Synopsis

Border Shifts develops a more complex and multifaceted understanding of global borders, analysing internal and external EU borders from the Mediterranean region to the US-Mexico border, and exploring a range of issues including securitization, irregular migration, race, gender and human trafficking.

About the Author

Natalia Ribas-Mateos is a Visiting Scholar at Philipps University of Marburg, Germany and is affiliated with the CERAO (Autonomous University of Barcelona) and IFEA Istanbul. Her latest publications include The International Handbook on Gender, Migration and Transnationalisms edited with L. Oso (2013) and How Filipino Immigrants in Italy Send Money Back Home with C. Basa (2013).