The motivations of Tunisian men to migrate to Italy [Ressource électronique] : an ethnographic study of the Hay Ettadhamen township / Rayed Khedher

Master of Arts : Applied anthropology : California State University : 2007

Bibliogr. p. 150-159

Clandestine migration from Tunisia to Italy is one of the most important migration issues in the Mediterranean. There has been little ethnographic research devoted to this issue and no deep examination of the personal motivations of the Tunisian potential male migrant. Most of the literature and case studies have focused on the socio­ economic impacts of this migration on either Tunisia or Italy. This study investigates these motivations by focusing on the young men in Hay Ettaadhamen, a large depressed township on the outskirts of Tunis. The study examines the hypothesis that Tunisian men living in Hay Ettadhamen migrate to Italy due to an intersection of various factors including geographical proximity, access to jobs, economic conditions, established social networks and a quest for "Paradise Europe" with its seemingly attractive Western lifestyle. Through this research, I will try to identify how these factors intersect with personal motivations and influence attitudes toward clandestine migration to Italy and, in some cases, actually motivate the young men to migrate. I also attempt to turn the focus away from the simple push and pull factors of economics being the main motivation and illuminate other hidden sets of incentives that are specific to Hay Ettadhamen touwnship The study considers the micro-level personal motivations and examines the impact of globalization, social networks and media in the shaping of these clandestine migratory movements. This thesis is based on 9 months of ethnographic fieldwork in which I employed a qualitative research design involving participant observation and in-depth interviews.