This thesis explores Korean-Chinese migrant workers’ local experiences of the global phenomenon of international migration of care labour, focusing on how the care labour of migrant workers is being constructed through the intertwined social and political processes in South Korea’s shifting long-term care sector for the elderly. The thesis uses a qualitative case study method and relies on data collected through participant observation, interviews, and textual analysis during field research between November 2009 and May 2010. The analysis is based on a global economy of care framework, which understands care work as being made of products that are socially and politically constructed in the global processes. My study findings illuminate the roles and relations of the state, the employers, and the workers in producing a huge migrant workforce in South Korea’s segregated elder care labour market. The policy analysis at the intersection of elder care, labour market, and immigration policies shows that, over the last decade, the South Korean government has significantly reconstructed the boundaries of elder care work through the expansion of publicly-funded programmes for the elderly and the institutionalisation of care work in those programmes. In the institutionalisation process, the government’s ignorance about the care work performed in the private care sector has resulted in different regulations and working conditions for care workers in the publicly-funded versus the private sector. My empirical findings highlight how employers’ search for ‘cheap’ and ‘flexible’ labour and older female migrants’ disadvantageous status in the labour market have placed these workers in the less regulated private sector and their pay and working conditions at the bottom of hierarchical elder care workforce. In advocating for migrant care workers’ labour rights, this thesis challenges the current discriminative employment practices and the government’s lack of protection and regulation of care work in the private sector.

This thesis explores Korean-Chinese migrant workers’ local experiences of the global phenomenon of international migration of care labour, focusing on how the care labour of migrant workers is being constructed through the intertwined social and political processes in South Korea’s shifting long-term care sector for the elderly. The thesis uses a qualitative case study method and relies on data collected through participant observation, interviews, and textual analysis during field research between November 2009 and May 2010. The analysis is based on a global economy of care framework, which understands care work as being made of products that are socially and politically constructed in the global processes. My study findings illuminate the roles and relations of the state, the employers, and the workers in producing a huge migrant workforce in South Korea’s segregated elder care labour market. The policy analysis at the intersection of elder care, labour market, and immigration policies shows that, over the last decade, the South Korean government has significantly reconstructed the boundaries of elder care work through the expansion of publicly-funded programmes for the elderly and the institutionalisation of care work in those programmes. In the institutionalisation process, the government’s ignorance about the care work performed in the private care sector has resulted in different regulations and working conditions for care workers in the publicly-funded versus the private sector. My empirical findings highlight how employers’ search for ‘cheap’ and ‘flexible’ labour and older female migrants’ disadvantageous status in the labour market have placed these workers in the less regulated private sector and their pay and working conditions at the bottom of hierarchical elder care workforce. In advocating for migrant care workers’ labour rights, this thesis challenges the current discriminative employment practices and the government’s lack of protection and regulation of care work in the private sector.

This thesis explores Korean-Chinese migrant workers’ local experiences of the global phenomenon of international migration of care labour, focusing on how the care labour of migrant workers is being constructed through the intertwined social and political processes in South Korea’s shifting long-term care sector for the elderly. The thesis uses a qualitative case study method and relies on data collected through participant observation, interviews, and textual analysis during field research between November 2009 and May 2010. The analysis is based on a global economy of care framework, which understands care work as being made of products that are socially and politically constructed in the global processes. My study findings illuminate the roles and relations of the state, the employers, and the workers in producing a huge migrant workforce in South Korea’s segregated elder care labour market. The policy analysis at the intersection of elder care, labour market, and immigration policies shows that, over the last decade, the South Korean government has significantly reconstructed the boundaries of elder care work through the expansion of publicly-funded programmes for the elderly and the institutionalisation of care work in those programmes. In the institutionalisation process, the government’s ignorance about the care work performed in the private care sector has resulted in different regulations and working conditions for care workers in the publicly-funded versus the private sector. My empirical findings highlight how employers’ search for ‘cheap’ and ‘flexible’ labour and older female migrants’ disadvantageous status in the labour market have placed these workers in the less regulated private sector and their pay and working conditions at the bottom of hierarchical elder care workforce. In advocating for migrant care workers’ labour rights, this thesis challenges the current discriminative employment practices and the government’s lack of protection and regulation of care work in the private sector.

Title: The CSR strategies of the MNCs to ensure the labor rights of migrant workers: the 2022 FIFA World Cup Project in Qatar (Case study based on Migrant Workers of Bangladesh)Authors: Nandita Farhad and Nataliia SlobodianSupervisor: Charles WoolfsonDate: May 30th, 2012Background: The Corporate social responsibility (CSR) became at the forefront of corporate strategy of many businesses. However, the area of human and labor rights as a part of CSR of the business is not deeply studied, especially when it comes to the ground level workers which constitute the majority of employees in the construction sector. There is quite a mystery in the CSR field what exactly CSR is and what are the motives and benefits of being socially responsible. MNC’s compliance to the legal system of the country is seen as one of the basis for CSR, but will it be still place for CSR when the ‘legal basis’ is missing as it is in Qatar, country of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Project.Aim: The purpose of this research is to find out whether multinational construction companies incorporate human and labor rights into their CSR strategy upstream as the basis of CSR policy, and what is even most important, downstream as a resource for CSR practice including those throughout the supply chain. This research aims to enhance the understanding of the importance of human and labor rights as the part of CSR, especially when it comes to migrant workers from the third world countries.Methodology: A qualitative study has been conducted. Relaying on the existing theories of CSR and by applying the 2022 FIFA World Cup Project case study as an empirical tool we support and review established theoretical understanding. This allows us to make use of existing knowledge in the field as well as contribute with our own findings and critical review.Completion and results: The study found that the MNCs of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Project have unclear CSR strategies, hence ineffective practices towards ensuring human and labor rights for the Bangladeshi migrant workers, especially within their supply chains.Search terms: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Multinational Corporation (MNC), human and labor rights, migrant workers, Qatar, the 2022 FIFA World Cup Project.

This study examines the changing state-society relations in mainland China by exploring the relationships between NGOs and the state during the period of transition to a market economy. The NGOs discussed in this study are primarily concerned with migrant workers, because the issue of migrant workers is one of the toughest issues confronted by the Chinese government. Three different types of NGOs are examined: government-owned NGOs (GONGOs), such as trade associations and county NGOs; grass roots NGOs in the Pearl River Delta and Beijing; and the international NGOs that initiate various programs relevant to migrant workers in China. The author¡¦s analysis is that the Chinese government, influenced by the political context, tends to be suspicious of NGOs and subjects them to restrictive regulations. Given the asymmetric power between the government and the NGOs, state-society relations have developed into a form of state corporatism. It is noteworthy that features of a primary mode of civil society as identified by Charles Taylor have emerged, even though this civil society is far from being capable to counter the power of the state. Moreover, empirical evidence suggests that external factors such as international NGOs and transnational networks are involved in the shaping of state-society relations.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Liberty University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2002. / Main text in Korean, with English summary and evaluation. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-105).

published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Rural-urban migration in China during the reform era since 1978 is considered the most massive migration in the history of humankind. This migration is creating complex problems that attract continuous and extensive academic investigations. This paper aims at reviewing some of the dynamics that have facilitated this migration and the resulting welfare problems associated with the rapid economic development and urbanization in China. The binary structure of China (not only limited to the economic aspect but also the political and social aspects), the ‘Three Rural Issues” and the Chinese Household Registration (hukou) System are the core factors leading to the rural urban disparities. The disparities have resulted in this massive migration and thus created the bi-polar welfare states between the rural and the urban sectors. The study provides an overview of the marginalization of the rural-urban migrants despite the Chinese leaders’ ongoing appeals to improve the welfare treatment of this group of people. The study focuses on the less studied location of Dongguan, considering that well over 80% of the population of Dongguan are rural migrants. In reviewing the selected welfare indications of the migrants, this study challenges the improvements that the migrants obtained. Comparisons are made between the migrants’ situation in Dongguan and in their hometowns. Comparisons are also made to the selected welfare indicators (wages, social insurances, housing and education) of the migrants and their urban counterparts. / published_or_final_version / China Development Studies / Master / Master of Arts in China Development Studies