Migrant workers

Challenges to workplace dignity in a total institution: Examining the experiences of Foxconn’s migrant workforce

by Kristen Lucas

Lucas, K., Kang, D., & Li, Z. (in press). Challenges to workplace dignity in a total institution: Examining the experiences of Foxconn’s migrant workforce. Journal of Business Ethics. doi: 10.1007/s10551-012-1328-0

In 2010, a cluster of suicides at the electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn Technology Group sparked worldwide... more In 2010, a cluster of suicides at the electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn Technology Group sparked worldwide outcry about working conditions at its factories in China. Within a few short months, 14 young migrant workers jumped to their deaths from buildings on the Foxconn campus, an all-encompassing compound where they had worked, eaten, and slept. Even though the language of workplace dignity was invoked in official responses from Foxconn and its business partner Apple, neither of these parties directly examined workers’ dignity in their ensuing audits. Based on our analysis of media accounts of life at Foxconn, we argue that its total institution structure imposed unique indignities on its workers that both raised questions of their self-respect and self-worth, as well as gave rise to multiple episodes of disrespectful communication. We interpret our findings in light of the larger cultural context and meanings of work in China to understand more fully the experience of dignity of Foxconn’s migrant workforce.

A silent revolution: 'Image Theatre' as a system of decolonisation

by J. Adam Perry

Published in Reserach in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance

This article summarises the ways in which Image Theatre, a practice originally developed by Augusto Boal which... more This article summarises the ways in which Image Theatre, a practice originally developed by Augusto Boal which continues to be developed in the hands of applied theatre practitioners and critical arts educators worldwide, can be used as a pedagogical and dramaturgical system of decolonisation at the level of communities and individuals. Through reference to two examples from my own work, I argue in this article that Image Theatre is a unique cultural practice that can be used to facilitate counter-discursive stories that are shaped by participants’ invitation to play in the space between aesthetic representation and social reality. In this way, Image Theatre may invoke an in-between space similar to the postcolonial concept of hybridity which offers educators a way of transforming and reinventing meaning as well as creating new strategies for decolonising practice.

Transnational Politics? The Politics of Temporary migrant work in Australia’ in Journal of Intercultural Studies 33 (1). Pp 85-101.

by Nicole Oke

Published in Journal of Intercultural Studies 33 (1). Pp 85-101.

Temporary migration has become a significant component of Australia's migration programme, most notably via the... more Temporary migration has become a significant component of Australia's migration programme, most notably via the skilled temporary work visa (s457), student visas with work rights and Working Holiday Maker visas, but also the pilot of the Pacific Seasonal Workers’ Scheme. Temporary migration is an extremely diverse phenomenon and it clearly creates opportunities for individuals, households and states. However, it just as clearly creates additional vulnerabilities. It can be a way to get workers to do work where citizens are unwilling, and temporary migrants can be politically excluded both at home and abroad. The decoupling of citizenship and work, however, has uneven affects depending on the bargaining position of workers. This paper examines temporary migration in the Australian context, and the role of NGOs and unions engaged with these migrants. The argument made is that temporary migration transnationalises these organisations. It also shows, however, the uneasy tension between national and transnational politics and solidarities, with implications for temporary migrants.

Peruvian Lives on Canada's Conscience

by Tyler Shipley

Shipley, Tyler.  "Peruvian Lives on Canada's Conscience," Rabble.ca, Feb 10, 2012.

Materializing Inequality: The Archaeology of Tourism Laborers in Turn-of-the-Century Los Angeles

by Stacey Camp

(2011) International Journal of Historical Archaeology 15(2):279-297.

This article traces the historical marginalization of tourism workers in Southern California, a region made popular in... more This article traces the historical marginalization of tourism workers in Southern California, a region made popular in the late 1800s for its numerous leisurely activities. Workers employed in Southern California’s hotel industry continue to face discrimination, low wages, and dangerous and environmentally hazardous work conditions, policies that originated during the development of the region’s tourism industry. Using California’s most popular tourist site from 1893 to 1936, Mount Lowe Resort and Railway, as a case study, this article examines the historical spatial, ideological, and legal factors that have contributed to the contemporary stratification of Los Angeles’ hotel laborers. It concludes with an emphasis on how archaeological and archival research can be used to help modern day tourism laborers gain the attention and benefits they so direly deserve.

Asian labour migration: issues and challenges in an era of globalization

by Piya Wicks

Investigative Management and Consumer Research on the Internet

by Peter Lugosi

A final version of this paper will be published as Lugosi, P., Janta, H. and Watson, P. (2012) Investigative Management and Consumer Research on the Internet. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management Vol. 24, No. 6. Please consult the final published version if citing.

This paper introduces the notion of Investigative Research on the Internet (IRI) and conceptualises its processes... more This paper introduces the notion of Investigative Research on the Internet (IRI) and conceptualises its processes through the principle of streaming. It discusses the similarities and differences between IRI and netnography and considers various aspects of the IRI process, including site selection, sampling, data collection and analysis. It is argued that streaming can help to understand the processes involved in conducting netnographic research. Moreover, it is suggested that streaming is a more appropriate way to conceptualise some internet-based studies that do not conform to netnographic or ethnographic ideals. Three international empirical cases are used to illustrate the application of IRI and streaming in research on international workers, consumer cultures and on emerging business phenomena.

The gurban displaced: Bayash guest workers in Paris

by Annemarie Sorescu-Marinkovic

Published in: Kurban in the Balkans (ed. B. Sikimić), Beograd: Balkanološki institut, 2007, pp. 137–151.

Бајашите во Париз [The Bayash in Paris]

by Annemarie Sorescu-Marinkovic

Published in: Културен живот, јуни-септембар, 3–4/2008, Македонија, 2008, pp. 70–79.

Organisational Justice: Migrant Worker Perceptions In Organisations In the United Arab Emirates

by Kasim Randeree

Journal of Business Systems, Governance and Ethics

A justice framework can be used to understand how individuals within organisations respond to a variety of human... more A justice framework can be used to understand how individuals within organisations respond to a variety of human resource practices and also can be used prescriptively in designing the procedures and enactment of human resource practices. The principles of justice can be applied in order to understand the consequences of any human resource practice. This paper examines the impact of the perception of organisational justice on job satisfaction of unskilled workers in the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The key findings of the research revealed Dubai as having the largest proportion of expatriate workers globally and that these employees present a high level of grievance towards their employers. Major issues highlighted by the survey include pay, workload, job responsibilities, bias, and employer injustice.

The impact of migrant work in the elder care sector: recent trends and empirical evidence in Italy

by Mirko Di Rosa

Di Rosa M., Melchiorre M.G., Lucchetti M., Lamura G. (2012). The impact of migrant work in the elder care sector: recent trends and empirical evidence in Italy. European Journal of Social Work, 15 (1): 9-27 (IF: 0.444).

Italy is characterized by a very high and increasing demand for elder care but, paradoxically, also by a surprisingly... more Italy is characterized by a very high and increasing demand for elder care but, paradoxically, also by a surprisingly low level of public service provision in this sector. Due to current demographic, economic and socio-cultural trends, the potential availability of informal family care has been decreasing while, on the other hand, still strong familistic attitudes have so far limited the emergence of formal—both home and residential—care services. The ‘cash-for-care’ orientation of the Italian welfare system, with direct payments prevailing over in-kind services, has thus gradually developed into a care regime where monetary transfers to dependent (older) people are often used to privately employ migrant care workers. This phenomenon is analyzed in the context of two different studies (EUROFAMCARE and DIPO), in order to understand how migrant care work has been affecting both family care and professional care work in Italy. The main findings suggest that the widespread employment of migrant care workers—propelled by public care allowances—has certainly relieved many families from most burdensome care tasks, but at the same time partly ‘crowded out’ formal care services. Care quality issues remain. however, largely under-investigated, as do care drain effects in sending countries.

I servizi domiciliari tra reti informali ed assistenti famigliari

by Mirko Di Rosa

Di Rosa M., Melchiorre M.G., Lamura G. (2010). I servizi domiciliari tra reti informali ed assistenti famigliari. Psicogeriatria, 3: 61-71.

Il Secondo Rapporto NNA inizia dalla discussione dei più recenti dati disponibili (la “Bussola” di NNA). Poi presenta... more Il Secondo Rapporto NNA inizia dalla discussione dei più recenti dati disponibili (la “Bussola” di NNA). Poi presenta un bilancio delle azioni compiute dal governo, discute gli interventi realizzati dalle diverse Regioni e, infine, analizza la più recente sanatoria delle badanti.
La parte successiva propone un approfondimento monografico sui servizi domiciliari. Ne illustra le principali caratteristiche in Italia, ne esamina i modelli organizzativi e s’interroga sulla loro capacità di rispondere ai bisogni del territorio. Conclude un confronto tra il nostro Paese e l’estero.
Così come il precedente, il Secondo Rapporto NNA è scaricabile gratuitamente dal sito www.maggioli.it/rna

Pubblichiamo questo articolo di Di Rosa, Melchiorre, Lamura che offre una visione strategica e molto attuale dei servizi domiciliari in Italia. È stato ripreso dal Secondo Rapporto Non Autosufficienza, recentemente pubblicato da Maggioli Editore a cura del Network Non Autosufficienza.
La tematica è al centro dell’attenzione di chi si occupa di malattie croniche e quindi di grande interesse per i lettori di Psicogeriatria, attenti alle dinamiche che caratterizzano la continua ricerca di nuovi equilibri nei servizi.

Migrants Workers in the Long-Term Care Sector: Lessons from Italy

by Mirko Di Rosa

Lamura G., Chiatti C., Di Rosa M., Melchiorre M.G., Barbabella F., Greco C., Principi A., Santini S. (2010). Migrants Workers in the Long-Term Care Sector: Lessons from Italy. Geneva Association Information Newsletter, Health and Ageing, 22nd April 2010, Invited Article II: 8-12.

Migrant Relationships and Tourism Employment

by Peter Lugosi

Janta, H., Brown, L., Lugosi, P. and Ladkin, L. (2011) 'Migrant relationships and tourism employment', Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 1322-1343.
If citing please consult the corrected published version.

This paper examines how tourism employment and workplace experiences influence migrant workers' adaptation in the host... more This paper examines how tourism employment and workplace experiences influence migrant workers' adaptation in the host society. It is argued that tourism employment provides access to multiple social networks, which subsequently supports the improvement of foreign workers’ social and cultural competencies. Such networks also help to compensate for the negative aspects of tourism work and migration. In addition, the paper considers how relationships among international workers inform chain migration and influence subsequent recruitment practices and migration experiences. The findings stem from a wider study of the experiences of Polish migrant workers employed in the UK tourism sector using qualitative and quantitative data.