[Review of] Hoerder, Dirk. Cultures in Contact: World Migrations in the Second Millennium

Authors

Jac D. Bulk

Orginal Publication Date

2003

Journal Title

Ethnic Studies Review

Volume

26

Issue

esr/vol26/iss2

First Page

88

Last Page

90

Comments

Fair Access

Abstract

Cultures in Contact is an ambitious tome of the annotated world history of human mass migrations both within and between national boundaries. This book provides a glorious descriptive wealth of when, where, and to a lesser extent "why" mass migrations have occurred across the largest and most populous regions of the planet earth over the span of the past millennium. In this regard it may serve as a valued reference work for anyone curious about the "bigger picture" of migration flows; however, those seeking a simplistic theoretical synthesis that would account for the myriad patterns of human migrations over the past millennium will not be much gratified by Hoerder's tome. As the author highlights in his introductory chapter, human migration flows may be either voluntary or coerced and in either case must be viewed in a socio-historically specific systems context.

Rights

​Copyright ©ESR, The National Association for Ethnic Studies, 2003