Migrant workers' narratives of return : alienation and identity transformations
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Migrant workers' narratives of return : alienation and identity transformations
(Routledge studies in sociolinguistics)
Routledge, 2024
- : hbk
Available at 1 libraries
  Aomori
  Iwate
  Miyagi
  Akita
  Yamagata
  Fukushima
  Ibaraki
  Tochigi
  Gunma
  Saitama
  Chiba
  Tokyo
  Kanagawa
  Niigata
  Toyama
  Ishikawa
  Fukui
  Yamanashi
  Nagano
  Gifu
  Shizuoka
  Aichi
  Mie
  Shiga
  Kyoto
  Osaka
  Hyogo
  Nara
  Wakayama
  Tottori
  Shimane
  Okayama
  Hiroshima
  Yamaguchi
  Tokushima
  Kagawa
  Ehime
  Kochi
  Fukuoka
  Saga
  Nagasaki
  Kumamoto
  Oita
  Miyazaki
  Kagoshima
  Okinawa
  Korea
  China
  Thailand
  United Kingdom
  Germany
  Switzerland
  France
  Belgium
  Netherlands
  Sweden
  Norway
  United States of America
Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. [140]-150) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Drawing on a corpus of 113 narratives told by migrant workers who have returned to their home country, Ladegaard details Indonesian and Filipina (domestic) migrant workers' experiences of homecoming after years of work abroad, separated from their loved ones.
The narratives deal with two major themes: 1) Migrant workers' experiences in the diaspora, which for many, particularly Indonesian workers, were associated with abuse and exploitation leading to trauma; and 2) migrant workers' experiences of coming home, which include both the happy reunion with the family but also concerns about not 'fitting in' and the need to reinvent themselves because they are not who they were when they left. This is particularly true for workers whose migratory journeys have failed and who have come back to their hometowns without any financial award. Chapters also explore the major difference between Filipina and Indonesian migrant workers' overseas experiences. The Filipina returnees share mostly positive stories while the Indonesian returnees uncover mostly negative stories, further illuminating what may explain these diverse migratory experiences. Finally, the book discusses how research on disenfranchised groups like (domestic) migrant workers can be used for social and political action.
An excellent text that will appeal to academics, teachers and postgraduate students in the humanities and social sciences, particularly in sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, intercultural communication, anthropology, and migration studies.
Table of Contents
1. Setting the scene 2. How and Why: A Dash of Theory and Methodology 3. Struggling to Reconnect: Identity Transformations 4. Haunted by Ghosts: Remembering Trauma 5. Spurning Exploitation: The Empowered Migrant Worker 6. Sinking and Drowning, or Surviving and Thriving 7. Reflexivity and Social Activism in Migrant Worker Research 8. Summary and Concluding Remarks
by "Nielsen BookData"