Publication

This paper provides a historical analysis of the role migration has played in the ability of people in Burkina Faso to acquire social mobility. Through this analysis, the author shows the historical emergence of a divide between those with access to intercontinental migration and those with only the option for intra-African migration. She then argues that because of this divide, migration is no longer a means to social mobility in Burkina Faso, since preferential access to migration is likely to enhance the divide between rich and poor. She also uses this analysis to show how state initiatives in Africa have affected access to migration.