Stepping Out of the Brain Drain

Catholic social teaching's traditional opposition to 'brain drain' migration from developing to developed countries is due for a reassessment. Stepping Out of the Brain Drain provides exactly this, as it demonstrates that both the economic and the ethical rationales for the teaching's opposition to 'brain drain' have been undermined in recent years, and shows how the adoption of a less critical policy could provide enhanced opportunities for poor countries to accelerate their economic development.

Stepping Out of the Brain Drain is an important contribution to the intensifying debate about highly skilled migration from developing to developed countries. Addressing the issue from the perspective of Catholic social thought, the authors demonstrate that both the economic and ethical rationales for the teaching's opposition to 'brain drain' have been undermined in recent years and show how the adoption of a less critical policy could provide enhanced opportunities for poor countries to accelerate their economic development.

Chapter 1 Definitions: The Scope of This Book, STEP OUT Migration: A New Term for Brain Drain, Catholic Social Teaching
Chapter 2 Catholic Social Thought and Immigration: The Openness of the Tradition and the Exception, Foundational Principles, Applying Human Dignity and the Common Good to Immigration
Chapter 3 Events and Understandings Influencing the Formation of the Church's STEP OUT Migration Policy: Political Developments, Developments in the Church
Chapter 4 The Case for STEP OUT Migration: An Overview, A History of Accentuating the Negative, The Importance of Modern Technology and Globalization
Chapter 5 The Contributions of STEP OUT Migrants: International Knowledge Transfers, Monetary Transfers, Technology Development and Transfer
Chapter 6 The Encyclicals of Pope John Paul II and Their Implications: Work in Catholic Social Thought, Human Dignity and STEP OUT Migration
Chapter 7 Next Steps: Recommendations, Conclusion
Chapter 8 Appendix A: Catholic Social Teaching and Political Discourse
Chapter 9 Appendix B: A Short History of the American Catholic Church's Programmatic Support for Immigrant Communities