LAIZ MOREIRA Sofia

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Sofia.LAIZ-MOREIRA@univ-amu.fr

Functions

Sofia Laiz Moreira is a sociologist, lecturer and researcher in sociology and Hispanic and Latin American studies at the University of Aix-Marseille. She currently teaches in the Department of Sociology, the Faculty of Psychology, the Department of Hispanic and Latin American Studies and at theInstitut national supérieur du professorat et de l'éducation (French national institute for higher education) (Inspé).

  • She has specialised at Hispanic societies, education and migration, guidance for young people and educational/social inequalities.
  • It is also affiliated with Convergences Migrations Institute, Collège de France and a member of the European COST Action Network: 'Transnational Family Dynamics in Europe'. 
  • She works as external evaluator for the European Commission, within the network " European Cooperation in Science and Technology"  for the evaluation of project proposals.

 

 

 

 

 

Curriculum

    • PhD in Sociology (2015), Intercultural and Migration Studies, Universidade da Coruña, Spain.
    • Master 2 in Intercultural and Migration Studies. Faculty of Sociology, Universidade da Coruña, Spain
    • D.E.A: « Journeys towards independent living for young migrants in socially precarious situations in the Galician region, Spain». Universidade de Vigo, Spain.
    • D.E in analytical psychology and psychopathology (5-year course). Institute for Training in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy. National Federation of Psychoanalysis. France
    • Degree in Sociology, Universidade da Coruña, Spain.
    • Bilingual Spanish-English bachelor's degree (Cambridge University), CDP, Pilar, Argentina.

 

 
Post-doctorates:
  • 2023-2025 Postdoctorate in sociology of education: Evaluation of a social inclusion scheme: PIA3 " PANORAMA»,  for the educational and professional guidance of high school students in the PACA region. Service universitaire d'insertion et orientation (SUIO), Aix Marseille University (Mesopolhis CNRS SciencePo Laboratory).
  • 2017-2019 Postdoctorate in sociology of education: Evaluation of equal opportunities schemes: «Cordées de la réussite» and «Pathways to Excellence, , Rectorat de l'Académie d'Aix Marseille and Laboratoire méditerranéen de sociologie, Aix Marseille Université-CNRS. France.

 

 
Qualifications:  
  1. Section 19: Sociology - Demography,
  2. Section 14: Hispanic and Latin American Studies (Romance Studies),

 

 
Languages spoken: English, French, Spanish (mother tongue), Portuguese (notions)

Academic work

DOCTORAL THESIS

«Strategies and trajectories of intergenerational social mobility among young migrants in Spain». Edited by Laura Oso Casas and Natalia Ribas Mateos
Summa Cum Laude
 Access to thesis manuscript: URL https://ruc.udc.es/dspace/handle/2183/14186?locale-attribute=en

 

Research projects :

 
  • Member of the COST Action project (European Cooperation in Science and Technology): 'Transnational Family Dynamics in Europe'.
  • Member of lpilot team Territorial dynamics and learning in priority education "The AMPIRIC project
  • Member of the Observatory of Inequalities in Education (MMSH), Telemme, Iremam, Mesopolhis, Aix Marseille Univeristé, CNRS.
Since 2021: Fellow Institut Convergences Migrations, Collège de France
2023 2025 Researcher in the «Pia3" project Panorama», Head of evaluation and impact assessment of a school guidance system for the open social sector. Aix Marseille University.
2020 2021 Member of the Scientific Committee of the " Cormed: School of gender research " Réseaux GenderMed: "Penser le genre en Méditerranée", under the supervision of De Gourcy, C. (Mesopolhis, LAMES, AMU - CNRS). https://reolphoto.fr/cormedv1/page3.html
2017 2019 Researcher in the project Encouraging ambition, evaluation of equal opportunities schemes in priority education" . Rectorat de l'Académie d'Aix Marseille and Lames laboratory, Aix Marseille University/CNRS.
2013-2015 Member of the " MIMED: Places and territories of migration in the Mediterranean, 19th to 21st centuries "Edited by Prof. S. Mazzela and Prof. V. Baby-Collin. TELEMME and Lames CNRS-AMU, MMSH.
2011 2014 Researcher in the “Género, transnacionalismo y estrategias de movilidad social intergeneracional en las migraciones hacia España” project. Under the supervision of Prof. Laura OSO CASAS. Ministry of Science and Education. Unviersidade da Coruña, Spain.
2011-2012 Researcher with the Spanish Component Project "Research programme on unaccompanied minors in 7 European countries "(2011-2012) Dir. Aissa KADRI. Maghreb-Europe Institute (CERPS)/ ERASME team, University of Paris 8 (France).
2011-2013: Set-up and coordination of the project «Namae: evaluación de las políticas educativas en la migración de menores y jóvenes migrantes hacia España». University of A Coruña, funded by the Spanish Government's Agency for Development Cooperation (AECID).
 2011-2012 Researcher in the «Segundas generaciones argentinas y marroquíes en España: un enfoque sobre su impacto en el desarrollo» (2011 -2012) Directed by Prof. Laura OSO CASAS and Prof. Natalia RIBAS MATEOS. Project funded by the Cooperation and Volunteering Office of the University of A Coruña, Spain.
2010-2011 Researcher in the "Dinámicas norte-sur y migraciones de menores: los vínculos entre sub-desarrollo y las migraciones de menores a Galicia (España)”. (2010 -2011). Supervised by Prof. Laura OSO CASAS. Cooperation and Volunteering Office, University of A Coruña, Spain.
2009-2011 Researcher in the " Project El impacto de las migraciones en el desarrollo de los paîses de origen: Spanisha y latinoamérica" (2009 -2011) . Directed by Prof. Laura OSO CASAS. Ministry of Science and Innovation (SEJ2007- 63179). Unviersidade da Coruña, Spain.
2009-2011: Set-up and coordination of the " Project Arbax: Against racial bullying and xenophobia project. "Coordination: Galician Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Government of Galicia, Spain. Funded by the European Commission's Education, Audiovisual and Culture Agency (EACEA).
2007-2009: Development and coordination of European lifelong learning projects: "E-retail" project, "CECE" project and "IGLOO" project, funded by the European Commission's European Agency for Education, Audiovisual and Culture (EACEA).

Areas of research

Disciplines:
  • Sociology of migration and intercultural studies,
  • Sociology of education/ Social stratification,
  • Hispanic and Latin American studies,
  • Ethno-psychology.
Geographical areas : 
  • Hispanic Worlds: Spain and Latin America,
  • France,
  • Maghreb 
Research themes:
  • Migrant youth, pschool guidance course and professional/ Migration and intergenerational social mobility,
  • Companies in the Hispanic world
  • Evaluation of public policies for social inclusion,
  • Ethnicity, discrimination, identities/ transcultural psychology,
  • Family, gender, generations and migration.

 

Productions

 

 

BOOKS

  1. RICHARD BOSSEZ A., LAIZ MOREIRA S. and BERTHET T. (Dir.) (2025) Finding your way: school careers between trajectories, territories and inequalities".Toulouse, Éditions Octarès, Collection Le travail en débats, Série LEST.
  2. RIBAS MATEOS, N. and LAIZ, S. (Eds.) (2014) Movilidades adolescentes. Elementos teóricos emergentes en la ruta entre Marruecos y España. Barcelona: Editorial Bellaterra. 345 pages.

CHAPTERS IN COLLECTIVE WORKS

    1. LAIZ MOREIRA. S (2025) " Du lycée au supérieur: facteurs psychosociaux dans la réussite du projet d'orientation ", RICHARD BOSSEZ A., LAIZ MOREIRA S. et BERTHET T. (Dir.) (2025) Finding your way from secondary school to university: the dynamics and challenges of career guidance. Cahiers du LEST. Octares ed.
    2. RICHARD BOSSEZ and LAIZ MOREIRA S. (2025) Passer du collège au lycée : ce qu'en disent les élèves de REP+ en RICHARD BOSSEZ A., LAIZ MOREIRA S. and BERTHET T. (Dir.) (2025) Finding your way from secondary school to university: the dynamics and challenges of career guidance. Cahiers du LEST. Octares ed.
    3. LAIZ MOREIRA. S (2025) "From social capital to ethnic capital" in OSO CASAS, L. , RIBAS MATEOS N. and MORALLI, M. (Eds.) Elgar Encyclopedia of Global Migration. New Mobilities and Activism. Editorial Elgar. Barcelona.
    4. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2023) in "Economic crisis and intergenerational social mobility: Argentines and Moroccans in Galicia" in " The Migratory Experience. From words to systems". under the direction of Amanda Da Silva, Cécile Giraud, Josepha Milazzo and Kelly Poulet. Paris, Editions L'Harmattan. Available in : http://liseuse.harmattan.fr/978-2-8061-3259-8
    5. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2014). "Familia, migraciones y procesos de incorporación de los jóvenes migrantes en Galicia" en RIBAS MATEOS, N. y LAIZ, S. Movilidades adolescentes. Elementos teóricos emergentes la ruta entre Marruecos y Europa. Barcelona: Editorial Bellaterra, pp. 281-201
    6. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2014) Prologue (in Spanish and French) to RIBAS MATEOS, N. y LAIZ, S.  Movilidades adolescentes. Elementos teóricos emergentes la ruta entre Marruecos y Europa. Barcelona: Editorial Bellaterra, pp.13-19/ 20-25.

ARTICLES IN A PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL

  1. LAIZ MOREIRA Sofia y ESTEBAN Fernando (2026) Migraciones latino-americanas en España: el caso de la comunidad argentina en islas Baleares. Revista Poblacion y sociedad. In evaluation.
  2. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2025) Educational and guidance pathways of young Latin Americans in the south of France: dynamics of exclusion, obstacles and resilience. Sociétés et jeunesses en difficulté magazine, in the evaluation phase.
  3. with RICHARD BOSSEZ et al (2025) Transition From Middle to High School in French Education Priority Areas: A High Stake in the Differentiation of Student's Curricula. Journal of education and language studies. Volume 3 Issue 2 - July 2025. DOI: 10.19080/OAJELS.2025.03.555609
  4. ROMERO BALSAS, Pedro and LAIZ MOREIRA Sofia (2025): Implications of Parenting Abroad: Migration and Work-Life Balance in Southern France. Community, Work and Family Journal. CWF. Under evaluation.
  5. DALLE, Pablo and LAIZ MOREIRA, Sofia (2025) The role of ethnic capital in the social mobility strategies of the children of immigrants and young Latin American migrants in Argentina. European Journal of Migration International. Accepted 17/07/2025. To be published.
  6. LAIZ MOREIRA, Sofia and NOVARO, Gabriela (2025)  Family, generations and social mobility projects of young Bolivian women in the province of Buenos Aires (Argentina). Enfance Famille et Générations International Review. In the evaluation phase.
  7. LAIZ MOREIRA, Sofia (2025) Du lycée à la fac : Les difficultés liées à la transition vers l'enseignement supérieur. Études & Pédagogies magazine.  https://doi.org/10.20870/eep.2025.8504
  8. LAIZ MOREIRA, Sofia (2025) The role of ethnic, family, and social capitals in intergenerational social mobility among the Argentineans and Moroccans in Galicia, Spain.  Two Homelands. (61) pp.135-155. https://ojs.zrc-sazu.si/twohomelands/article/view/14367/12436
  9. LAIZ MOREIRA Sofia and GUTIERREZ SANCHEZ David (2021) Expectativas educativas y laborales de jóvenes inmigrantes en España. El caso de Marruecos y Rumanía REIM Revista internacional de estudios migratorios. Volumen 11(1), 132 - 159.
  10. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2021) La reproducción de las desigualdades en las trayectorias de movilidad social intergeneracional de los jóvenes marroquíes en España. Revista Migraciones. Universidad de Comillas.https://doi.org/10.14422/mig.i52.y2021.004
  11. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2021) In search of successful social integration: the role of employment support programmes in the life paths of young unaccompanied foreign nationals in Spain. JMM magazine Young people and minors on the moveNo. 6, forthcoming, MIGRINTER, University of Poitiers, France.
  12. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2020) «I dream of a better future to help my mother, to give her back all she gave to me...: social mobility projects, the family and other determinants in children's migrations to Spain», Questions Vives [Online], No. 32 | 2019, URL: http://journals.openedition.org/questionsvives/4142.
  13. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2020) «Capital étnico e migrações de jovens argentinos e suas famílias que voltaram para Galícia (España)». PERIPLOS, Revista de Pesquisa sobre Migraçõesv. 4 n. 1 (2020), Universidade de Brasília- UnB. CLACSO - GT Migrações Sud Sud. https://periodicos.unb.br/index.php/obmigra_periplos/article/view/30551
  14. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2020) "Crónica de una migración anunciada: las migraciones de retorno a las raíces de argentinos en Galicia (España) a principios del siglo XXI". Journal of contemporary societies and cultures Europe-America. Amnis [Online], 19 | 2020, URL : http://journals.openedition.org/amnis/5441 DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/amnis.5441
  15. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2020) "¿Movilidad social a partir de la movilidad geográfica?: los casos de familias argentinas y marroquíes inmigradas en un contexto regional español". Cuestiones De Sociología(23), Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Buenos Aires, Argentina https://www.cuestionessociologia.fahce.unlp.edu.ar/article/view/CSe105
  16. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2020) "Jóvenes migrantes en el puente transnacional Argentina-España: trayectorias de movilidad social a partir de la movilidad geográfica". The Cahiers d'ALHIM n°39, 2020, edited by Juan Luis Carrellán Ruiz, Nathalie Jammet-Arias and Mercè Pujol Berché.<https://journals.openedition.org/al...>
  17. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2020) "Catapulted into upward educational mobility. Gender, age and educational attainment in Moroccan girls settled in Spain". African journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research (AJSSHR),(ISSN : 2689-5129), Volume 3, Issue 1, 2020.
  18. with RICHARD-BOSSEZ et al.(2020) "Accompagner la transition collège-lycée : les enseignements des Parcours d'Excellence en Rep+". E&D magazine.
  19. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2019) «El impacto de las jerarquías de género y edad en las estrategias de movilidad social inter-generacional de familias argentinas y marroquíes en Galicia (España)», POLIS, Revista LatinoamericanaNo. 51 (January-February 2019) Universidad de Santiago, Chile. https://journals.openedition.org/polis/16450
  20. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2017) "Género, edad y generación: la familia y los meso determinantes en las trayectorias educativas y ocupacionales de los hijos de inmigrantes marroquíes asentados en España"; Studi Emigrazioni. (206), aprile - guigno 2017; 258 - 275. Centro Studi Emigrazione di Roma, Italia.
  21.  with GIMENO, CH. (2017) 'Minors who migrate alone and child protection systems: a regional approach in the Spanish state'. EMPAN Review, 2017/3 (107); 126 - 132.
  22. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2016) «Familias migrantes y estrategias de movilidad social intergeneracional en las migraciones argentinas y marroquíes a Galicia (España): un enfoque inter-seccional» en “Procesos migratorios y dinámicas familiares desde una perspectiva de género.Circuitos en, desde y hacia América Latina” (Coords.) GIL ARAUJO, S. and ROSAS, C., .Odisea. Revista de Estudios Migratorios, (3) 78-98, 2016. Ed. Instituto de Investigación Gino Germani, Univerdad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  23. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2015): 'The impact of the institution in the emancipation processes of migrant minors from Beni Mellal (Morocco) to Galicia (Spain)' ; European Journal of International Migration 31 (2), 79-98
  24. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2013). Itinerarios institucionalizados: Responsabilidades y dinámicas de exclusión en la protección de los menores migrantes no acompañados en Galicia. Revista Electrónica de Investigación y Docencia (REID), (10), pp 83- 100.
  25. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2012): Family, community and transnationalism in the migration of Moroccan minors to Spain: the case of Beni Mellal ; Hommes et Migrations magazineNo. 1300 Nov-Dec 2012, pp. 63-70.
  26. LAIZ MOREIRA S (2012) Buscando una oportunidad. Menores que migran solos a Galicia. Libro de Actas I Congreso Internacional de las Migraciones en Andalucía. Instituto de las Migraciones. Universidad de Granada. Granada. 16-18 Febrero 2011, pp. 943-956. ISBN 978-84-921390-3.
  27. LAIZ MOREIRA, S. (2011) El tratamiento institucional de los menores no acompañados en Galicia: ¿Hacia una emancipación? REINAD (Revista de infancia y adolescencia), (1) Sep. 2011. Universidad de Valencia, pp. 72-85. ISSN 2174-721.

Reports

LAIZ MOREIRA, Sofia (2024) Report of the meeting: "In transition: training trajectories of young migrants in precarious legal situations". Claudio Bolzman; Alexandra Felder and Antonio Fernandez. Revue REMI; University of Poitiers.

LAIZ MOREIRA, Sofia (2016) Report of the meeting:"El género en movimiento,Familias y migraciones" by María Eugenia Zavala de Cosío and Virginie Rozée Gomez, in "Les Cahiers ALHIM", special issue Baby-Collin, V. andParraudin, A. 2016) coords.

Reports

  • LAIZ MOREIRA Sofia (2025) Rapport de résultats : Enquête de mesure d'impact du dispositif d'orientation Panorama, pour un suivi de parcours auprès de 5 établissements de la région PACA - (Report on the results: survey to measure the impact of the Panorama guidance system, to monitor the career paths of 5 establishments in the PACA region).Cohort 2023-2025. PIA3 PANORAMA project. Aix Marseille University, University of Avignon and University of Toulon.
  • LAIZ MOREIRA Sofia (2024) Report on results: Survey to measure the impact of the Panorama guidance system, to monitor the progress of 5 establishments in the PACA region, Cohort 2022-2024. PIA3 PANORAMA project. Aix Marseille University, University of Avignon and University of Toulon.
  • LAIZ MOREIRA (2023) Rapport de résultats Enquête exploratoire de mesure d'impact, Projet PANORAMA. Aix Marseille University
  • RICHARD BOSSEZ, A et al. Crossing the ford. The transition from third to second year in REP+: what the research says. [Research Report] Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LAMES, Aix-en-Provence. 2019. ⟨halshs-02120126⟩

ASSESSOR:

 

 

 

External Evaluator/Expert of the European COST Actions Programme, European Commission

 

RELECTURES

  • Proofreading for {Les Cahiers ALHIM}. Ed. University of Paris 8. France.
  • Proofreader for the journal {Migraciones Internacionales}. Ed.: Colegio de la Frontera Norte. México.
  • Proofreading for Revista Internacional de Estudios Migratorios. CEMyRI. Universidad de Almería. Spain.
  • Proofreading for Revista ANTIPODA. Universidad de Los Andes. Colombia.