Exploring Global Visa, Border, and Mobility Structures with Computational Tools

Emanuel Deutschmann,
University of Flensburg
Abstract:
How are transnational mobility and communication networks (from migration and tourism to phone calls, remittances and online friendships) structured and what are possible explanations for this structure? Specifically, what role does physical distance play in shaping how we move and communicate across borders? What can we learn from large-scale global air traffic data about transnational mobility patterns and seasonal work migration? How are visa costs globally stratified and what explains this inequality? What does cross-border transport infrastructure (roads, rails, ferries, etc.) tell us about border permeability and how does its density vary worldwide? These are some of the questions that are tackled in this talk, which reports findings from the book Mapping the Transnational World (Princeton University Press, 2021) and the Global Mobilities Project, both of which used network analyses and computational tools to provide answers.