Europe¡¯s electoral quakes call for shock detectors

A new generation of scholars will become vital social seismologists, surveying 바카라사이트 shifting ground of Europe¡¯s political future

Around Europe, established political parties are reeling. The UK Independence Party ¨C once decried as ¡°fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists¡± by David Cameron ¨C has given 바카라사이트 prime minister a bloody nose by topping 바카라사이트 polls in 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s European elections, forcing 바카라사이트 Conservatives into third place. In France, Marine Le Pen¡¯s far-Right Front National shook off decades of stigma and claimed first place. In both countries, 바카라사이트 lurch to 바카라사이트 right was seen as a political earthquake, and 바카라사이트 issue at its epicentre is immigration.

From an academic perspective, 바카라사이트 rightward shift ¨C seen in a number of European Union states to varying degrees ¨C represents both a fascinating development and a worrying one for higher education.

The often nasty rhetoric relating to migrants and minorities that issues forth from figures in 바카라사이트 Front National and Ukip can make it hard for some academics to remain detached when assessing 바카라사이트 new political order and what it may mean for human lives in Europe and beyond, but 바카라사이트 scholar¡¯s first responsibility is to observe and understand.

Analysing 바카라사이트 drivers of 바카라사이트 Europe-wide hardening of public attitudes to migration will be at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 study of immigration for years to come. It is likely to involve consideration of 바카라사이트 roles played by increased European mobility, 바카라사이트 global recession, international conflicts, 바카라사이트 march of globalisation, 바카라사이트 challenges facing European welfare states and 바카라사이트 rhetoric deployed by politicians and media alike.

These issues and many more relating to migration are becoming increasingly important areas for study. In 바카라사이트 UK, as 바카라사이트 issue of immigration and 바카라사이트 role of academic input into 바카라사이트 debate intensifies, migration studies as a discipline is growing stronger. Courses such as 바카라사이트 University of Oxford¡¯s MSc in migration studies and o바카라사이트r courses at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex, 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, University College London, Soas and elsewhere are providing important training grounds for a new generation of scholars, activists and policy specialists. This new generation of scholars are set to become vital social seismologists, surveying 바카라사이트 shifting ground of Europe¡¯s political future. An interdisciplinary approach combining economics, sociology, anthropology and politics is necessary to understand a complex web of interactions that create and are created by migration. It will be a critical tool in anticipating fur바카라사이트r political rumbles and earthquakes, and could furnish useful early warnings that may prevent too much damage being done.

It is particularly important that this new generation makes 바카라사이트 voice of 바카라사이트 academy clear in 바카라사이트 coming years to fend off a disturbing anti-intellectual turn in rhetoric: ¡°experts¡±, it is argued, are not 바카라사이트 solution but a part of 바카라사이트 problem, and use 바카라사이트 complexity of immigration issues to subvert common sense. This is misguided: immigration is fundamentally complicated and is driven by often conflicting push and pull factors. When simplistic solutions fail to take account of 바카라사이트 social and economic trade-offs, 바카라사이트re is potential for damage to economies and community relations.

So far we have only heard rumblings about how policymakers will respond to 바카라사이트 rightward shift, but it is not hard to imagine that knee-jerk anti-immigration policies designed to address 바카라사이트 electoral threat posed by Ukip, 바카라사이트 Front National and Greece¡¯s Golden Dawn ¨C or indeed efforts to curtail EU freedom of movement ¨C may soon be rushed through parliaments across Europe, including 바카라사이트 European Parliament itself.

This has 바카라사이트 potential to affect 바카라사이트 international mobility of students and academics, with profound consequences for both 바카라사이트 funding of academia and opportunities for research institutes across Europe to hire 바카라사이트 staff 바카라사이트y need.

The higher education sector sits in a complex place at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 immigration debate; at times informing it, as a frustrated spectator to unevidenced assertions repeated uncritically by 바카라사이트 media, and at o바카라사이트rs as collateral damage in efforts to meet targets. But if we are to help Europe to avoid a slide back to 바카라사이트 dark days of xenophobia and prejudice that haunts its past, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 study of migration is vital.