An introduction to ‘the age of migration’ and its consequences for the field of gerontological social work

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes 1. For insight into the debate on the impact of international migration on the advancement of the population ageing process see, for example, Bijak et al. (2007 Bijak, J., Kupiszewska, D., Kupiszewski, M., Saczuk, K and Kicinger, A. 2007. Population and labor force projections for 27 European countries, 2002–2052: impact of international migration on population ageing. European Journal of Population, 23(1): 1–31. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and Tsimbos (2006 Tsimbos, C. 2006. The impact of migration on growth and ageing of the population in a new receiving country: the case of Greece. International Migration, 44(4): 231–254. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). 2. Such as the fact that international migration flows have accelerated in all major regions of the world, leading not only to the globalization of this phenomenon but also to its politicization. 3. The issue of heterogeneity has received little attention. It is as if there is a persistent need to think of older migrants in homogenizing ways (cf. Torres, 2006b Torres, S. 2006b. Elderly immigrants in Sweden: "Otherness" under construction. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 32(8): 1341–1358. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). 4. Hereby we acknowledge that there are some who question whether efforts to create international and/or transnational social work practices are the most suitable to address the challenges that globalization poses (e.g. Webb, 2003).