This paper deals with Iraqis in the Swedish labour market. The main goal was to point out on positive aspects of the Swedish labour market integration. Previous studies were mostly problem oriented on immigrants’ situation in finding a job, especially when related to immigrant from non-European countries. Instead this study is focused on the more positive aspects. It was attempted to answer which public resources respectively which individual assets were of value in getting a job. This paper is based on a qualitative method, as five Iraqis with jobs were interviewed. To analyse the empiricism of this study the human capital theory and the theory of social capital were applied. Furthermore the impact of public resources on getting a job was taken into account in the analysis. The study shows that both public resources and individual assets were of importance in the pursuit of a job. The interviews showed that one’s education and social network weighed most when looking for a job. On the other hand internships were named as the most significant of the public resources. But finally it is to conclude that it is not enough to itemise influences but to have a look at their interaction.

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This study is about the Mongolian circus performers who work in Taiwan. Do their skills influence the outcome of their work conditions in Taiwan? This qualitative research carries out with interviews and participation observations. It explores Mongolian circus performers¡¦ working conditions, and the problems they face in different environments. The author has made several fieldwork trips to three places, and interviewed 17 performers. It contends that Mongolian circus performers are not in a disadvantaged industrial relations position due to, first, they are skilled labor; second, there is no clear rule regarding circus performers by Taiwan government; and third, the contract is clearly written about working contents, which makes the conflict less likely between migrant workers and employer.

The term of ¡§migrant worker¡¨ appeared after the 1978 economic reform in China, since then, millions of farmers or rural inhabitants squeezed themselves into cities for better payment and life. However, the residency system restricts those workers with the rural residence registration from sharing the same working treatment and social welfare as the city residence. Until today, the migrant worker issue is not only become the toughest problem that Chinese government confronted, also this unfair condition increase the attentions of labor issue related I.O. and NGOs. Migrant workers and rural development are the developmental dilemma while Chinese government is perusing for higher GDP growth index. But, after 1990, big amount of social issue related NGOs increased, just in time for make up the insufficiency of government and enterprsies. This study focuses on the migrant workers problem, and its helping NGOs. To make a clear prove, this study provides four important migrant workers¡¦ educational and rights maintaining NGOs for case study. Through the research of these NGOs, we could figure out how those NGOs actually help those migrant workers. The amount of NGO is rapid growing, no matter how hard Chinese government intends to restrict those NGOs, it still represents that along with the trend of globalization, and the demand of civil society in China is also rising.

Social science research has been slow to incorporate the international migration of skilled and educated women, and the impacts of their return migration. At the same time, Turkish female migrants have been negatively stereotyped in the literature. This exploratory and descriptive study aims to address these gaps by examining the impacts of emigration and return migration on the social and work lives of educated Turkish women who have returned to Turkey from Canada. Oral history interviews were conducted with six working-age, educated female returnees in Istanbul and Ankara between February and April 2007. Aside from some common features, the six women in this study differ greatly in terms of age, marital status, field of study and work, length of time in Canada and Turkey, and the opportunities and resources available to them throughout their migrations. From the interpretive examination of the women&amp / #8217 / s narratives, patterns in their subjective social and work life experiences emerged. The issue of gender was found to pervade all aspects of the women&amp / #8217 / s lives at all stages of their migrations as they negotiated their often contradictory social roles as mothers, wives, daughters, and professionals. This study also reveals that none of the women migrated as an individual actor. Rather, contextual and stratification factors such as marital status, family configuration, language skills, prior exposure to different cultures, socio-economic background, education and labour force participation were found to shape and influence their initial potential for migration, as well as the processes and outcomes of their migrations.

This thesis analyzes the integration process of Iraqi Turkomans living in Ankara and how social networks effect these processes. The reasons of their migration from Iraq after 1980s and the migration process are also discussed in order to clarify their level of integration in Turkey. The research for this thesis is based on the analysis of questionnaires and in-depth interviews that were done with the members of Iraqi Turks Culture and Assistance Association and who have close relations with it. It was thought that strong networks among family members and friends would be a facilitating factor for their integration to different aspects of social life such as housing and labour market, social security and health system, education system in Turkey. It is found that besides social networks / cultural and linguistic similarities of Turkomans plays an important role for their integration process. More importantly, acquiring Turkish citizenship is a crucial factor to participate to social life and makes integration easier.

This study examines the changing concept of nation and the identity problem for the workers that turned back to Turkey. Starting from 1960s, lots of workers migrated to European countries as a solution to the problem of unemployment in Turkey. The migrants brought their families with them and got accustomed to living abroad. However statistics prove that a group of migrants returned back to Turkey. Eventually, an identity problem emerged for the returned migrants and they experienced a confusion and ambiguity concerning their origin. Although, these migrants shared the same ethnic origin with people living in Turkey, they experienced difficulties in adapting to their national culture. Some of the migrants adapted themselves to other cultures, and their interest to their traditional cultures decreased. Consequently, the concept of nation carries a different meaning for the returned migrants. This thesis will examine, why and how the returned migrants became the other in their own countries.

<p>This paper deals with Iraqis in the Swedish labour market. The main goal was to point out on positive aspects of the Swedish labour market integration. Previous studies were mostly problem oriented on immigrants’ situation in finding a job, especially when related to immigrant from non-European countries. Instead this study is focused on the more positive aspects. It was attempted to answer which public resources respectively which individual assets were of value in getting a job. This paper is based on a qualitative method, as five Iraqis with jobs were interviewed. To analyse the empiricism of this study the human capital theory and the theory of social capital were applied. Furthermore the impact of public resources on getting a job was taken into account in the analysis. The study shows that both public resources and individual assets were of importance in the pursuit of a job. The interviews showed that one’s education and social network weighed most when looking for a job. On the other hand internships were named as the most significant of the public resources. But finally it is to conclude that it is not enough to itemise influences but to have a look at their interaction.</p>

Oral health is an important aspect of overall health, but many vulnerable populations such as migrant farmworkers are without access to oral healthcare. Although some non-government organizations such as faith-based organizations have attempted to fill gaps left by government and private sectors, a lack of a dental safety net creates limited access to oral health services for migrant farmworkers. Access to care is further constrained by structural factors including low wages, migration route, and high costs of care. Building off a critical medical anthropology approach in understanding oral healthcare access, I argue that limited oral health access for migrant workers in the Tampa Bay area is the result of economic constraints and not cultural beliefs or educational shortcomings. This research therefore demonstrates the social determinants of oral health, and how social disparities can become embodied in marginalized groups such as migrant farmworkers.

Acknowledging the population aging trend, the urbanization process, and also the old-age security challenges facing rural migrant workers, this study sets out to explore and make theoretical sense of the pension policy process for rural migrant workers, through a case study in Beijing. Applying the stage model of the policymaking process, and an equitable-effective-efficient evaluative framework, an inquiry frame is constructed to formulate research questions theoretically and to facilitate the whole study. Mixed methods integrating quantitative and qualitative research were adopted to achieve the stated purpose. The secondary data yielded by a random sampling survey (N=3,024) were employed to provide a contextual base, and to examine what factors are influencing rural migrant worker choices and participation in pension schemes, through a multivariate Probit regression method. The effect of pension program on consumption smoothing and income redistribution, reflected by pension replacement rates, are explored through actuarial models. Based on the findings of a quantitative study, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were carried out with 22 rural migrant workers, 6 governmental officials, 5 scholars and 5 human resource managers in Beijing. Through prolonged immersion in the research site, qualitative research further addresses the mechanisms and factors functioning within the policymaking process. Merging mixed methods utilizing the stages model of policy process, this study has been able to make discoveries not reported in previous studies. This study is of considerable significance, as it contributes novel insights and concepts into understanding the dynamics of the policy process in the case study of rural migrant worker pension provision in China. First, in response to the inquiry frame, it establishes an analytical framework to uncover the underlying policymaking process, as well as the mechanisms and factors functioning within each stage. In the agenda setting stage, it is the central government which can initiate the agenda setting process for rural migrant workers. At the same time, however, local governments are driven by their own interests and compelled by the central government’s desire to get pension issues on the agenda. It is indicated that decentralization, centralization and incrementalism are functioning together in policy formulation and adoption. From both the micro and macro perspectives, this study identifies what factors are contributing to the gap between policy design and implementation. Guided by a preset three-Es framework, the whole policy process and its (potential) impacts are evaluated. Second, throughout the whole study, an interest is displayed through its analysis in rural migrant workers' situations, needs and opinions. It is found that governments are playing an overwhelmingly decisive role in policy making, that rural migrant workers' voices are largely unheard, and that powers are concentrated in unrepresentative hands. Policy suggestions on moving toward a democratic policy process are then discussed. Finally, this study further proposes a package of concrete policy implications to systematically address these practical policy issues. This package mainly covers the household registration system, the sandwich generation, preservation of pension rights, policy transparency and publicity, policies being moderately mandated, and particular social welfare programs. / published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy