Migration is conventionally perceived in a negative light in respect of its
relationship with development, particularly in terms of livelihoods, relational
goods, and social capital. This negative perception is exhibited in the terms
frequently adopted to analyse population movements, including displacement
and refugee migration, and in the dichotomised categorisation of the
phenomenon into forced and planned versus free or unorganised migration. This
paper examines the limitations of this conceptual dualism. It points out that the
dualistic approach has simplified a highly complex phenomenon by ignoring its
essential heterogeneity and spatial and temporal dynamics. As such, it is limited
in explaining and understanding the globally diversified, historically and
politically contextualised situations.
Focusing on the migratory experiences of contemporary Vietnam and linking
migration to development and livelihoods in the Vietnamese context, the study
identifies major patterns and trends of population mobility in the country across
time and space. It shows that despite the state’s continued attempts to reshape
the country’s population configuration and distribution over recent historical
periods, the policy outcomes with respect to population mobility have been
swayed as much by individuals and their families in pursuit of their own
aspirations and livelihoods as by the state plans. The Vietnam case has provided
evidence of a much more complicated relationship between migration and
livelihoods than the conceptual dichotomy assumes. The paper then points to
the policy implications for transcending the dualistic thinking in the Vietnam
context: the need for a more holistic approach integrating migration as a whole
into general development programmes encompassing more focused investment,
better social provision and environmental protection projects in both sending
and receiving communities.