Momentous Mobilities

Noel B. Salazar is Research Professor in Anthropology at the University of Leuven. He is the author of Envisioning Eden (Berghahn, 2010) and numerous journal articles, book chapters, and edited volumes on the anthropology of mobility and travel. He is the founder of Cultural Mobilities Research (CuMore) and the EASA Anthropology and Mobility Network (AnthroMob).

“Salazar’s book is immensely readable because he is not held back by writing regular academic prose. Momentous Mobilities, true to its subtitle, is an intense and meditative musing on the subject. It will be valuable to sociologists, anthropologists, scholars of migration, and non-specialists alike.” • JRAI“Momentous Mobilities takes the reader on an impressive journey around the world, while navigating differently structured mobilities. Salazar’s interdisciplinary work is a compelling contribution to the complex field of migration and mobility studies, and will undoubtedly serve as a key reference to students, scholars, and practitioners alike.” • Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change“This book helps broaden the discussion of mobility that is so often focused on migration or diaspora. With its emphasis on the relationship between mobility and ‘staying’ or immobility, it also offers a useful corrective to the literature that privileges mobility.” • Deborah Reed-Danahay, University at Buffalo“A fascinating read… Salazar skillfully explores the cultural meanings attached to movement, considering both the individual significance of boundary crossings and their social valuations. The in-depth knowledge of multiple case studies from other societies and diverse contexts of education, work and pilgrimage enlivens the work, while his personal and first-hand reflections of how movement has featured within his own biography feed his musings to generate a highly readable account.” • Caroline Oliver, University of Roehampton

• List of IllustrationsForewordVered AmitPrefaceIntroduction: Mapping MobilityPART I: IMAGINING MOBILITYChapter 1. Chile: Traveling to and from the End of the WorldChapter 2. Indonesia: Merantau and ModernityChapter 3. Tanzania: The Maasai as Icons of MobilityPART II: ENACTING MOBILITYChapter 4. Education: Leaving to LearnChapter 5. Labor: Capitalizing on MovementChapter 6. Life’s “Pilgrimage”: Travel, Travail, TransformationConclusion: Mobile FuturesReferencesIndex