Societies, mobility and movement: the territories of waiting (the case of the Americas past and present). – TERRIAT

The phenomena of mobility and movement are among the major features of our contemporary societies. And yet, far from being fluid, consistent or linear, these movements are punctuated by “holding” times of varying length. Whether for technical, administrative or political reasons, such moments often have a spatial expression in the territories used to accommodate these societies “on hold”. This project aims to examine these holding areas and their many forms, establish their size and gain an understanding of their legal status, how they fit in with the surrounding space, the specific ways in which time is spent here and the variety of economic and social interactions that take place.

For such a survey, the American societies, which originated in the (voluntary or forced) movement of populations of diverse origins that left their mark on the territories that they took over, appear to be a particularly appropriate subject for study.

The project will be based on a comparatist approach, incorporating the American continent and its surrounding Atlantic regions. It will place emphasis on the observation of those moments of crisis that prompt certain people to flee or seek exile (legal or illegal) in the search for a better life elsewhere. We will focus in particular on four key periods: America, land of refuge and mission (17th to early 20th Centuries); America, land of immigration (mid-19th to early 20th Centuries); America, land of migrants (20th Century) and America at the time of globalisation.

Holding times and places take shape between old and new forms of mobility: the question is to find out whether we are observing new social forms within these old conditions. The comparison will consist of establishing permanence and change in social forms within these holding territories – history and literature on the one hand and geography and sociology on the other will be used to support this analytical approach.