World on the Move

Provides an encompassing overview of migration routes and dispersal of human populations around the world

World on the Move brings together the current state of knowledge about migration and displacement in a single, easily accessible volume. Written as a companion to “World on the Move: 250,000 Years of Human Migration,” a traveling exhibition developed by the American Anthropological Association and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, this thought-provoking book helps us reframe the ways we think and talk about migration.

World on the Move opens by describing the basic patterns and processes of migration and discussing the evidence used to measure migration, displacement, and their impacts. Subsequent chapters trace major population movements through human history, review the different reasons that propel the movement of human populations, and illustrate the many ways that migration affects us all. The final section focuses on international and national policies on immigration and displacement, including perspectives on birthright citizenship, migrant mothers and their children, and migration driven by climate change.

Drawing on a wealth of case studies of diverse cultures from across human history, World on the Move:

• Employs the “Crossroads” concept, an innovative narrative device that reveals connections between peoples, cultures, and moments when crucial decisions are made
• Discusses ways research on migration and displacement have been used to support public policy
• Highlights the roles of ever-evolving genetic, archaeological, and linguistic evidence in reshaping understanding of human population movements
• Explains basic terms, patterns, and processes of migration and displacement, as well as various evaluation and interpretation methods
• Addresses timely and complex issues such as enslavement and trafficking, border walls, immigration policy, and climate change

Presenting the latest scholarship on the peopling of the continents, World on the Move: 250,000 Years of Human Migration is an excellent textbook for undergraduate courses in anthropology, sociology, political science, cultural geography, and immigration studies, particularly those exploring migration, displacement, diaspora, and immigration policy.