Revisiting Partition: Contestation, Narratives and Memories

Abstract

the in-between but this is then only explored explicitly by a few of the contributors (notably in Chapter 3, Chapter 4 and Chapter 8). Once again, it would have been good to have seen more direct engagement with the idea of the ‘in-between’, possibly linking this to the related and now widely used concept of liminality. Considering the contributions in the book as a whole it is clear that there is great breadth both in terms of countries covered and in terms of the types of middle-class migrants profiled. Certainly, the notion of ‘a middle-class’ is problematic, and the book goes a long way in recognising this: emphasising a need for nuance and plurality when discussing the spectrum of middling migrants. In this sense, it takes us well beyond the early literature (from the mid2000s) on middle-class migration. Related to this, whilst the book is squarely focused on class, other facets of identity are brought to the fore such as race, gender and age. This diversity and nuance is a real strength and underlines the importance of edited collections like this in building up sophisticated and multi-dimensional empirical and conceptual insight. Ultimately, one is left in no doubt of the need for a class-based lens when considering middling migrants’ experiences and trajectories, but one is also left in no doubt that a class-based lens on its own is insufficient. Throughout, the book draws upon very rich empirical material, with all contributors opting for in-depth qualitative methods and often drawing on impressive sample sizes. Going forward, there is certainly room for complementary quantitative research into middle-class migration, more policy engagement, and further development of the notions of ‘privilege’ and ‘in-between’ status (ideally with reference to related established concepts in the extant literature). The potential for future middling migration research, and the platform established by this edited collection, is something that could have been reflected upon in a concluding section and the book does end a little abruptly. Overall, and despite minor gripes, Rethinking Privilege and Social Mobility in Middle-Class Migration will undoubtedly anchor and inspire future studies of middle-class mobility which, given the predicted growth of the middle-classes, is likely to become an ever more important strand of international migration research. The collection (all 11 chapters are of high quality) is one that I would certainly recommend to readers of the South Asian Diaspora and to students and researchers from across the social sciences more generally.