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robin.cohen@qeh.ox.ac.uk
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Kellogg College

Robin Cohen

Professor Emeritus of Development Studies

Robin Cohen is Emeritus Professor and Former Director of the International Migration Institute, University of Oxford. He is Senior Research Fellow at Kellogg College.

He has held full professorships at the Universities of the West Indies and Warwick and taught also at the Universities of Ibadan, Birmingham, Stanford, Toronto and Berkeley. He served as Dean of Humanities at the University of Cape Town (2001/3) and directed the nationally designated UK Centre for Research in Ethnic Relations at Warwick (1985/9).

His books include Labour and Politics in Nigeria (1974, rev. 1982), Endgame in South Africa? (1986), The New Helots: Migrants in the International Division of Labour (1987, 2023), Frontiers of Identity: The British and the Others (1994), Global Diasporas: An Introduction (1997, rev. 2008, 2012), Global Sociology (co-author, 2000, 2013), Migration and its Enemies (2006). and Encountering Difference (co-author 2016)  and Migration: The Movement of Humankind from Prehistory to the Present (2019).

He has edited or co-edited 21 further volumes, particularly on the sociology and politics of developing areas, ethnicity, international migration, transnationalism and globalisation. His major works have been translated into Chinese, Danish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Slovenian and Spanish.

With Nicholas Van Hear, he is currently working on issues of mass displacement and a history of migration studies at Oxford

 

  • Books and monographs

    Cohen, Robin (2023) 'The new helots: Migrants, the precariat and the international division of labour ', Kindle edition, 2023
    Cohen, Robin (2023) 'Global diasporas: An introduction ', Revised and enlarged 25th Anniversary edition Routledge 2022
    Cohen, Robin (with Nicholas Van Hear )(2019) 'Refugia: Radical Solutions to Mass Displacement ', Routledge
    Cohen, Robin (2019) 'Migration: The Movement of Humankind from Prehistory to the Present ', Andre Deutsch
    Cohen, Robin (with Carolin Fischer )(2018) 'Routledge Handbook of Diaspora Studies ', Routledge
    Cohen, Robin (with Olivia Sheringham )(2016) 'Encountering difference: diasporic traces, creolizing spaces ', Polity Press (Korean edition, 2018)
    Cohen, Robin (with G Jonsson )(2011) 'Migration and Culture ', Cheltenham: Edward Elgar
    Cohen, Robin (with P Toninato )(2009) 'The Creolization Reader: Studies in Mixed Identities and Cultures ', London and New York: Routledge : pp 416
    Cohen, Robin (2008) 'Global Diasporas: An Introduction ', London and New York: Routledge : pp 226
    Cohen, Robin (with P Kennedy )(2007) 'Global Sociology ', Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
    Cohen, Robin (2006) 'Migration and its Enemies: Global Capital, Migrant Labour and the Nation State ', Aldershot: Ashgate : pps 252
    Cohen, Robin (2003) 'The New Helots: Migrants in the International Division of Labour ', Reprinted Aldershot: Ashgate : pps 290
    Cohen, Robin (with S Vertovec )(2002) 'Conceiving Cosmopolitanism: Theory, Context and Practice ', Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press : pps 314
    Cohen, Robin (2001) 'Global Diasporas: An Introduction ', New Routledge edition : pps 374

  • Journal articles and special issues

    Cohen, Robin (2022) 'Citizenship: from three to seven principles of belonging ', Social Identities 28 (1) : 139–46
    Cohen, Robin (2019) 'Strangers and migrants in the making of African societies: a conceptual and historical review ', Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences 12 (1) : 45–59
    Cohen, Robin (2017) 'If you want to know about social identities, study the Caribbean ', Social Identities
    Cohen, Robin (with Nicholas Van Hear )(2017) 'Diasporas and conflict: distance, contiguity and spheres of engagement ', Oxford Development Studies 45 (2) : 171–84
    Cohen, Robin (with Nicholas Van Hear )(2017) 'Visions of Refugia: territorial and transnational solutions to mass displacement ', Planning Theory and Practice 18 (3) : 494-504
    Cohen, Robin (2015) 'Reconsidering social inclusion/exclusion in social theory: nine perspectives, three levels ', Mondi Migranti: Rivista di studi e ricerche sulle migrazioni internazionali 1 : 7–29
    Cohen, Robin (2010) 'Cinematic Representations of Diaspora: Italians and Jews ', Crossings: Journal of Migration and Culture 1(1) : 5-23
    Cohen, Robin (with Olivia Sheringham )(2008) 'Islands, Diaspora and Creolization ', Special issue of Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies 17 (1)
    Cohen, Robin (with Olivia Sheringham )(2008) 'The salience of islands in the articulation of creolization and diaspora ', Diaspora: a journal of transnational studies 17 (1) : 6–17
    Cohen, Robin (2007) 'Creolization and cultural globalization: The soft sounds of fugitive power ', Globalizations 4(3) : pp 369-384
    Cohen, Robin (2006) 'Introduction: From Fear to Solidarity ', Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 32(4) : pp 561-7
    Cohen, Robin (2006) 'Migration and Health in Southern Africa ', Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 32(4) : pps 181
    Cohen, Robin (2005) 'La liberte de circulation de devises et de personnes: les debats avant et apres le 11 Septembre 2001 ', Migrations Societe 27(102) : pp 45-69
    Cohen, Robin (2004) 'Il mondo delle diaspore ci fa paura ', Reset (Rome) 84 : pp 75-78
    Cohen, Robin (2004) 'Quella ebraica, madre di tutti le diaspore ', Reset (Rome) 82 : pp 44-48
    Cohen, Robin (2004) 'Chinese Cockle-Pickers, the Transnational Turn and Everyday Cosmopolitanism: Reflections on the New Global Migrants ', Labour, Capital and Society 37(2) : pp 130-49
    Cohen, Robin (2003) 'Crossing the Line. Migration: The End of Borders ', Index on Censorship 32(2) : 60-9

  • Chapters

    Cohen, Robin (with Gunvor Jónsson )(2011) 'Connecting culture and migration ', Migration and Culture Cheltenham: Edward Elgar
    Cohen, Robin (2010) 'Social Identities, Diaspora and Creolization ', Diasporas: Concepts, Identities, Intersections London: Zed Books
    Cohen, Robin (2009) 'Solid, Ductile and Liquid: The Changing Role of Homeland and Home in Diaspora Studies ', Transnationalism: Diasporas and the Advents of a New Dis(order) Leiden: Brill
    Cohen, Robin (2009) 'The Creolization Debate: Analysing Mixed Identities and Cultures ', The Creolization Reader: Studies in Mixed Indentites London and New York: Routledge : pps 1-22
    Cohen, Robin (2007) 'Diasporas: Changing Meanings and Limits of the Concept ', Les diasporas dan le monde Contemporain Paris: Karthala and Maison des Ciences de l'Homme (Bordeaux Pessac) : pp 39-48
    Cohen, Robin (2005) 'Preface ', Migration, Ethnic Relations and Chinese Business London: Routlege : xi-xii
    Cohen, Robin (2005) 'Diaspora, the Nation State and Globalization ', The Global History Reader New York: Routledge : pp 92-103
    Cohen, Robin (2005) 'Reti di migranti transnazionali ', Itinera: paradigmi delle migrazioni italiane Turin: Edizioni della Fondazione Giovanni Agnelli : 21-42
    Cohen, Robin (2003) 'Preface ', Global Diasporas: An Introduction (Greek Edition) Athens : 21-4
    Cohen, Robin (with S Vertovec )(2002) 'Introduction: Conceiving Cosmopolitanism ', Conceiving Cosmopolitanism: Theory, Context and Practice Oxford: Oxford University Press : pp 1-22
    Cohen, Robin (with R Fine )(2002) 'Four Cosmopolitan Moments ', Conceiving Cosmopolitanism: Theory, Context and Practice Oxford: Oxford University Press : 137-62
    Cohen, Robin (2001) 'Labour in an Age of Global Insecurity ', Globaliszation and Insecurity: Political, Economic and Physical Challenges Basingstoke: Palgrave : pp 203-17
    Cohen, Robin (2001) 'Fuzzy Frontiers of Identity: The British Case ', Race and Ethnicity: Critical Concepts in Sociology Vol 2 Solidarities and Communities London: Routlege
    Cohen, Robin (2001) 'Diaspora ', International Encyclopaedia of the Social and Behavioural Sciences Oxford: Pergamon : pp 3642-5
    Cohen, Robin (2001) 'European and East-West Migration in a Global Context ', The Sociology of Race and Ethnicity Cheltenham: Edward Elgar
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