This article claims that the study of irregular migration may be a strategic research material for the development of an adequate understanding of contemporary society. The field, however, suffers not only from a lack of reliable empirical data, but also from endemic undertheorizing. The article shows how the attempt to develop an understanding of irregular migration from within a general theory of modern society has positive consequences both for the clarification of the problems and for the design of research programs able to deal adequately with the phenomena. Particularly, it is argued that a theory of modern society centered on its form of differentiation may help to clarify both the political dimension of contemporary international mobility, the variety of irregular statuses existing in the foreign population of receiving countries, and the condition of inclusion and exclusion of irregular migrants.

In recent decades, large‐scale irregular migration flows and systems have developed across Europe. Although such systems involve most European countries and are often treated as being similar, their structures and dynamics are quite different. Some irregular migration systems have developed through clandestine entries, while other systems are almost entirely the result of overstaying. Some systems have been structured around a sequence of self‐contained spells of irregular work, while others have involved long‐term irregular residence. Some have coupled specific flows with specific niches in the occupational structures, while others have shown no significant connections with specific sectors of employment. This paper is based on what has been learned from an immigrant life‐history project carried out in Italy in recent years, and describes three different types of irregular migratory systems that are themselves rooted in three different kinds of migration careers: atomistic, volume‐based and structured. The paper argues that the distinction between different irregular migration systems is crucial both for structural and developmental analysis. Differences in the structure of irregular migration systems should also be taken into account in the analyses of the impact of different migration control policies. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This article explores the meanings of hyper-feminine performances enacted by a group of former USSR women migrating to Alpinetown (in northern Italy) and employed as live-in careworkers. Utilizing data from a three-year, multi-sited ethnography, I describe the ways in which they draw social boundaries and advance generalized claims for respect. I also document how such hyper-femininity is rooted in a performative understanding of womanhood as a normative project. Using evidence collected both in Alpinetown and in the sending areas, I also argue that hyper-femininity in emigration plays a compensatory role, allowing these women to detach themselves from conditions they regard as degrading. A main implication of the findings is that the notion of hyper-femininity may be usefully generalized beyond the Western middle-class contexts in which it was originally applied, to address the various ways in which women of different backgrounds make use of gender symbolism to establish claims to social worth and respect.

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