Mental mapping and multinational migrations: A geographical imaginations approach

Abstract

Investigating migration decision‐making raises certain methodological issues because of the complexity of these practices and the diverse possibilities that exist for aspiring migrants. Migrants are increasingly engaging in multiple migrations, moving between various locations in three or more international destinations. Particularly in Asia, where short‐term temporary contracts are increasingly the norm for labour migrants, it becomes counter‐productive to analyse migration decision‐making as a movement from one place to another. Based on research undertaken in Metro Manila, the Philippines, with 48 Filipino nurses, this article addresses how to do research related to the multinational migration pathways that structure migration goals and aspirations through demonstrating the benefits and practicalities of mental mapping, a participatory visual method. By exploring the geographical imaginations of migrants and aspiring migrants, multinational pathways are shown to be planned for at the earliest stage of migration. Overall, the work reported here leads to the conclusion that researchers need to consider multiple migrations in more multidirectional and messy terms.