Title: Crossing boundaries—ethnicizing employment—gendering labor: gender, ethnicity and social networks in return migration
Abstract: Abstract The article aims to untangle the multiple dynamics that occur in the processes of ‘adjustment’ during ‘return migration’ in relation to gender, ethnicity, space, place and employment. Certain aspects of the return migratory project provide a portrait of everyday life experiences in spaces of employment while uncovering and accentuating spatial processes that are simultaneously gendered and ethnicized. Through an empirical insight into the ethnocultural, gender and social dynamics of the country of return the article examines the trajectory of second-generation Greek-American return migrants. The research utilized qualitative methods as a methodological means to highlight the issues under study. In particular, the in-depth ethnographic interviews and case studies endeavor to offer insight into the multi-layered issues of return migration and highlight the role that gender and ethnicity play in identification processes and how these are expressed in relation to social and cultural capital derived from particular social networks. These processes accentuate not only the construction of spatial identities but also the maintenance of place-dependent ethnonational expressions of belonging and exclusion in the case of second-generation Greek-Americans who have relocated to their ancestral homeland. Franchir les frontières—ethniciser le marché de l'emploi—la sexuation du travail: le genre, l'ethnicité et les réseaux sociaux dans la migration de retour Américains d'origine grecque, migration de retour, genre, ethnicité, espace, lieu Cet article cherche à dénouer les dynamiques multiples qui se produisent dans le cadre des processus liés à l' «ajustement» durant la «migration du retour» en relation au genre, à l'ethnicité, à l'espace, au lieu et à l'emploi. Un nombre d'aspects du projet de migration de retour permette de brosser un portrait des expériences vécues au quotidien dans les espaces de l'emploi et de découvrir et faire ressortir les processus spatiaux définis conjointement en fonction du genre et de l'ethnicité. À partir d'une étude empirique centrée sur les dynamiques ethnoculturelles, sexospécifiques et sociales dans le pays d'origine, la trajectoire d'Américains de deuxième génération de souche grecque est ici examinée. Faisant appel à des méthodes qualitatives, le cadre méthodologique de cette recherche met en relief les questions à examiner. Les entrevues ethnographiques en profondeur et les études de cas permettent de mieux comprendre les questions multidimensionnelles entourant la migration de retour. Ils permettent aussi de souligner le rôle que jouent le genre et l'ethnicité dans les processus d'identification et comment ces derniers s'expriment sur un ensemble de dimensions liées au capital social et culturel associé à des réseaux sociaux particuliers. De tels processus accentuent non seulement la construction d'identités spatiales, mais aussi le maintien de manifestations ethnonationales dans un lieu déterminé lié à l'appartenance et à l'exclusion d'Américains de deuxième génération de souche grecque qui sont retournés et se sont installés dans la patrie de leurs ancêtres. Cruzando límites—la identidad étnica del empleo—el género del trabajo: género, identidad étnica y redes sociales en la migración de regreso griego-americanos, migración de regreso, género, identidad étnica, espacio, lugar Este artículo pretende desenredar el tejido de la dinámica que ocurre en los procesos de ‘adaptación’ durante ‘migración de regreso’ en relación a género, identidad étnica, espacio, lugar y empleo. Ciertos aspectos del proyecto de regreso migratorio crean, en conjunto, un retrato de experiencias cotidianas en espacios de empleo y también revelan y destacan procesos espaciales que simultaneamente tienen identidad étnica y de género. Mediante un estudio empírico de la dinámica etnocultural, social y de género del país a donde regresaron, el artículo examina la trayectoria de un grupo de migrantes—griego-americanos de segunda generación. La investigación utiliza métodos cualitativos como modo de destacar los problemas allí estudiados. En particular, las entrevistas etnográficas exhaustivas y estudios de caso nos permiten comprender mejor las cuestiones de múltiples niveles de surgen de la migración de regreso y destacan el papel jugado por género e identidad étnica en procesos de identificación y cómo son expresados en relación al provecho social y cultural sacado de ciertas redes sociales. Estos procesos destacan no sólo la construcción de identidades espaciales, sino también el mantenimiento de expresiones de pertenencia y exclusión que son etnonacionales y lugar-dependientes en el caso de los griego-americanos de segunda generación que se han trasladado a su patria ancestral. Keywords: Greek-Americansreturn migrationgenderethnicityspaceplace Acknowledgements This article has benefited from several stimulating and fruitful discussions with colleagues who generously offered constructive guidance and critical observations. I am grateful for the invitation to initially present my work at the Niches, Ethnicity and Gender conference at the University of Leiden, the Netherlands, 17–18 June 2004 and afterwards during my stay as Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Aalborg, Denmark during the Academy for Migration Studies in Denmark (AMID) seminar series on 30 September 2004. On both occasions a warm welcoming audience fostered an inspiring interdisciplinary dialogue. I am indebted to Professor Russell King and Dr D. Mentzeniotis for their insightful readings of my work and the tremendous benefit of their guidance. My heartfelt gratitude is extended to the participants in my study whose contributions have been instrumental in completing the research. Lastly, my deepest thanks to Professor David Sibley, editor of Social & Cultural Geography, and the two anonymous referees for the very useful comments on an earlier version of this article which I have responded to and incorporated into the final version and for this substantial improvement I am grateful. Notes 1 This article is partially based on research conducted for my DPhil thesis (Christou 2003a) and builds on preliminary postdoctoral research on issues related to migration and academic feminism. 2 For further details on the empirical data refer to the Appendix. 3 The concept of the ‘homing unitive resolution’ is addressed in detail in my DPhil thesis (Christou 2003a) as an act of belongingness and identification. Briefly, it refers to a homogenizing imaginative reconstruction of the ancestral homeland as a place to call home and where one's identity project in search of the self in one's Greekness is fulfilled. This is a conscious decision made by the returnees and it is their personal plan of action in their cultural worlds of uncertainty in search for stability. 4 While I acknowledge that one cannot make judgements about skills solely based on years of education as alternative views may make claims on relative remuneration in labor markets, the classification of returnees as ‘highly skilled’ is based primarily on the value they themselves place on skill as directly linked with their previous educational and professional qualifications acquired and recognized in the USA.
Publication Year: 2006
Publication Date: 2006-02-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 28
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