Toward a socio-anthropology of intra-urban residential (im)mobilities. The case of Filipino migrants in Italy

By developing a socio-anthropological approach to intra-urban residential (im)mobility, this paper examines the contribution of ethnographic methods to understanding of the multifaceted and intertwined motivations and practices shaping migrants’ integration and neighborhood choices. Drawing on evidence from Filipino migrants in Italy’s two main metropolitan areas, their experiences of intra-urban residential movement are analyzed in relation to other process of mobility and immobility occurring through national and transnational networks over the life course. Findings reveal that in Rome, propensities toward (im)mobility are primarily linked to domestic work, religious affiliation, family and friendship networks, and changes in household management, whereas in Milan, transport accessibility, housing market dynamics, kinship ties, and personal aspirations play a more central role. The study argues that a socio-anthropological lens challenges conventional quantitative approaches to intra-urban residential mobility, by integrating an ethnographic perspective that offers multiple levels of analysis. This perspective provides a more holistic understanding of the dynamics and challenges related to movement, relocation, and integration of migrants and their family groups within urban contexts of living.