Migrant visions of development: a gendered approach

In this article the current debate on migration and development is critically discussed. It will be shown that development as a multidimensional process is hardly ever conceptualised. The diversity of migration flows and patterns and the gendered structure of these processes are leading to different development visions which are hardly ever addressed or related to development. The analysis of the development visions of temporary male and female labour migrants from Bangladesh will reveal that migration experiences and the new connections and networks give rise to new identifications and development visions. The negotiations of these visions locally may initiate cultural, social and political transformations in the countries of origin, which do not necessarily correspond with the development visions articulated by other national and international actors involved. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.