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Article
Publication date: 10 December 2020

Amporn Jirattikorn, Arunrat Tangmunkongvorakul, Patou Masika Musumari, Arratee Ayuttacorn, Kriengkrai Srithanaviboonchai, Cathy Banwell and Matthew Kelly

For decades, northern Thailand has been a hub for migration in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, particularly for migrants from Myanmar. HIV prevalence among Myanmar/Burmese migrants

Abstract

Purpose

For decades, northern Thailand has been a hub for migration in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, particularly for migrants from Myanmar. HIV prevalence among Myanmar/Burmese migrants is higher than in the general Thai population. This study aims to focus on Shan migrants living with HIV in Chiang Mai, the metropolitan centre of northern Thailand and to examine two related aspects: migrants’ sexual risk behaviour and their HIV knowledge and beliefs. The study aims to understand circumstances in which mobility increases HIV risk behaviour and prevalence.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a qualitative study, the authors conducted in-depth interviews in 2017 with 43 HIV-infected Shan migrants (21 males and 22 females), and 29 health-care providers who work in district hospitals in Chiang Mai.

Findings

The authors found that social and economic vulnerability associated with migration, and AIDS-related mortality, increased migrants’ likelihood of having multiple serial partners. Confusion about HIV symptoms, stigmatization of HIV positive women and low risk perceptions, particularly among men, increased their risk behaviours.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to study the way of life, sexual behaviour and HIV knowledge and beliefs of Shan Migrants from Myanmar Living with HIV in Thailand.

Details

International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, vol. 16 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-9894

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 July 2022

Aaron Cashmore, Patraporn Bhatarasakoon, Melissa Haswell, Bin Jalaludin and Jan Ritchie

Hundreds of thousands of Shan people from Myanmar have crossed the Thai border seeking employment or refuge from war, with numbers increasing following the 2021 coup in Myanmar…

Abstract

Purpose

Hundreds of thousands of Shan people from Myanmar have crossed the Thai border seeking employment or refuge from war, with numbers increasing following the 2021 coup in Myanmar. Still, little is known about their post-migration experiences. This study explored the ways relocating to Thailand influenced the lives and mental wellbeing of Shan men, the factors affecting their engagement with Thai society and their responses to opportunities and challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

Given the lack of published research on this topic, this study used a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 purposively selected Shan men in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Data were examined using qualitative thematic analysis.

Findings

Five themes emerged: the strength of both push and pull factors; the importance of ethnicity, community and acting transnationally; experiencing discrimination and feeling “low”; coping by forgetting problems, hiding from trouble and studying; and wanting to return when conditions allow. The findings reveal how moving to Thailand can improve but also undermine the mental wellbeing of Shan men. Results also highlight the influence of ethnic identity, community and post-migration opportunities and stressors on how these men adapt to life in Thailand and on their attitudes towards return migration. Respondents used a mix of emotion- and problem-focused coping strategies.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to explore post-migration experiences and mental wellbeing among the Shan in Thailand.

Details

International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, vol. 18 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-9894

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 July 2008

Robert Tierney

This paper aims to analyse the class dimensions of racism in Taiwan against temporary migrant workers and migrants' efforts to build inter‐ethnic and labour‐community coalitions…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to analyse the class dimensions of racism in Taiwan against temporary migrant workers and migrants' efforts to build inter‐ethnic and labour‐community coalitions in struggle against racism.

Design/methodology/approach

An important source of data for this study were the unstructured interview. Between September 2000 and December 2005, more than 50 temporary migrants and their support groups in Taiwan were interviewed, specifically about migrants' experiences of racism and their resistance strategies. These interviews were conducted face‐to‐face, sometimes with the assistance of translators. Between 2001 and 2007, some 70 people were interviewed by telephone, between Australia and Taiwan.

Findings

In Taiwan, temporary migrants suffer the racism of exploitation in that capital and the state “racially” categorize them as suitable only for the lowest paid and least appealing jobs. Migrants also suffer neglect by and exclusion from the labour unions. However, migrants have succeeded, on occasions, in class mobilization by building powerful inter‐ethnic ties as well as coalitions with some labor unions, local organizations and human rights lobbies.

Research limitations/implications

The research raises implications for understanding the economic, social and political conditions which influence the emergence of inter‐ethnic bonds and labour‐community coalitions in class struggle.

Practical implications

The research will contribute to a greater appreciation among Taiwan's labour activists of the real subordination of temporary migrant labour to capital and of the benefits of supporting migrants' mobilization efforts. These benefits can flow not only to migrants but also to the labour unions.

Originality/value

A significant body of academic literature has recently emerged on temporary and illegal migrants' efforts to engage the union movements of industrialized host countries. There is a dearth, however, of academic research on the capacity of temporary migrants to invigorate union activism in Asia, including Taiwan.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 21 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 September 2012

Kathleen Ford and Aphichat Chamratrithirong

Migrants may be vulnerable towards HIV infection for many reasons including separation from spouses, lack of family restraint, peer norms, alcohol use, low perceived vulnerability…

Abstract

Purpose

Migrants may be vulnerable towards HIV infection for many reasons including separation from spouses, lack of family restraint, peer norms, alcohol use, low perceived vulnerability toward HIV infection, limited access to health care and health education, and low levels of education. The objective of this paper is to assess the influence of duration of stay and subsequent moves in Thailand on AIDS knowledge and sexual risk behaviors of migrant workers from Myanmar and Cambodia.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are drawn from a survey of 3,374 migrants conducted by the Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University in 2008. Multiple linear and logistic regression were used to assess factors related to AIDS knowledge and risk taking behavior.

Findings

The average length of stay in Thailand for these migrants was about five years. Duration of residence in Thailand was related to an increase in AIDS knowledge as well as an increase in condom use with regular partners. Duration of residence was also associated with an increase in visits to unpaid non regular partners and a decrease in visits to paid non regular partners. The number of moves across provinces within Thailand was not related to AIDS knowledge but was related to a decrease in paid and unpaid non regular partners.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited by the cross sectional nature of the survey. Longitudinal surveys of the migrants' experience should be conducted.

Practical implications

Duration of residence in Thailand had both positive and negative effects on migrants' vulnerability to HIV infection. A focus on minimizing HIV risk behaviors may be needed throughout their stay.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to focus on duration of residence and movement with Thailand on HIV prevention for migrant laborers. The findings are of value to health promotion programs for migrants.

Details

International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, vol. 8 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-9894

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 May 2022

Mingyan Han, Maolong Zhang, Enhua Hu and Hongmei Shan

This study aims to examine how Chinese rural-urban migrant workers' socio-economic status was associated with their decent work.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine how Chinese rural-urban migrant workers' socio-economic status was associated with their decent work.

Design/methodology/approach

Grounded in the psychology of working theory (PWT), this study tested the path from rural-urban migrant workers' socio-economic status to decent work via work volition, with this path moderated by environmental uncertainty and trade union support. 470 rural-urban migrant workers from four manufacturing enterprises were investigated.

Findings

Results indicated that rural-urban migrant workers' socio-economic status was positively associated with rural-urban migrant workers' decent work through work volition. In addition, environmental uncertainty weakened the impact of socio-economic status on work volition while trade union support strengthened the relationship between socio-economic status and work volition.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the growing research on the PWT by testing its utility among rural-urban migrant workers in the Chinese context. The study also identifies the crucial effects of environmental uncertainty and trade union support, which are distinctive characters of contemporary China, in the formation process of rural-urban migrant workers' decent work. A detailed explanation of the results and implications is discussed in the end.

Details

Personnel Review, vol. 52 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0048-3486

Keywords

Abstract

Details

Education, Migration and Family Relations between China and the UK: The Transnational One-Child Generation
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78714-673-0

Book part
Publication date: 24 May 2022

On Ni Chan

Purpose: This chapter examines alternative education programs available for Myanmarese migrant youth in Thailand, what these young migrants expect of education, and how these

Abstract

Purpose: This chapter examines alternative education programs available for Myanmarese migrant youth in Thailand, what these young migrants expect of education, and how these migrant learning centers (MLCs) can help provide more opportunities for migrants.

Methods: This study draws from the data collected through two stages of qualitative research undertaken in Mae Sot, a town that borders Myawaddy, Myanmar in Thailand. Stage one consisted of ethnographic research with the local Myanmarese diaspora when I worked as a volunteer at a community-based organization. In stage two, a series of interviews were conducted with eight faculty members and twenty students enrolled in the secondary school level or vocational training program of three local MLCs.

Findings: The main finding is that even with both inclusive education policies and alternative education options in place, there is still a missing link between the educational attainment of Myanmarese migrant youth and their future prospects. While Thai public education seems to be a pathway to more future opportunities in the host country, it can be a trap when migrant youth cannot make good use of their learned knowledge and Thai language skills in the future due to their irregular status. In contrast with Thai public schools, MLCs offer more than simply education. They also provide scholarship, employment and social welfare assistance to serve the varying needs of young migrants.

Originality: The case of Myanmarese migrants presents a unique study in which the gap between students’ educational attainment and future prospects cannot necessarily be bridged even with a valid work visa scheme in place. Some Myanmarese migrants are displaced individuals who fled from civil wars and without any identification documents. The legal systems enforced by nation-states, such as Thailand, that rely on identification documents to control the flow of population still lack the capacity to adequately address the educational needs and employment opportunities of individuals with irregular status.

Article
Publication date: 10 September 2019

Amy Yau, Ben Marder and Stephanie O’Donohoe

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to an understanding of the role of social media in negotiating and managing identity for transient migrants relating to the home and…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to an understanding of the role of social media in negotiating and managing identity for transient migrants relating to the home and host culture during the acculturation process.

Design/methodology/approach

Focussing on international students in the UK, this paper reports on findings from a qualitative study involving interviews with 27 transient migrants about their social media use and the negotiation of their identity online.

Findings

This paper highlights the multifaceted role that social media plays in the identity negotiations of transient migrants and it offers three theoretical contributions. First, the authors show that social media serves as a medium, consequence and determinant of identity. Second, provide four strategies for identity management are provided: boundary management, access management, online content management and offline content management. Third, contextualised support is provided for a reciprocal relationship between the different identity-related roles played by social media.

Research limitations/implications

The paper highlights the complex role of social media for identity within the acculturation process for transient migrants. Identity contestation may be salient for young student migrants, especially where there is a large cultural distance between the home and host culture. Identity negotiations and struggles may not be salient with older migrants or migrants who have migrated for different reasons or where there is a small cultural distance between the home and host culture.

Practical implications

This paper offers recommendations for social media site designers for enhancing the users experience during acculturation by guiding the navigation with identity management strategies as well as to highlight the possible predicaments of not managing their identity online.

Originality/value

Based on qualitative research with transient migrants using social media during acculturation, the paper provides a theoretical model of the role and reciprocal relationship of social media for identity, serving the role as a medium, consequence and determinant. The paper incorporates four identity management strategies that migrants can use on social media.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 33 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Abstract

Details

Education, Migration and Family Relations between China and the UK: The Transnational One-Child Generation
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78714-673-0

Book part
Publication date: 24 June 2015

Sathyajit R. Gubbi and Sinan A. Sular

Outward foreign direct investments (FDI) by Turkish firms in the new millennium show intriguing geographic distribution pattern and unlike the predictions of classical theories of…

Abstract

Outward foreign direct investments (FDI) by Turkish firms in the new millennium show intriguing geographic distribution pattern and unlike the predictions of classical theories of FDI. In this study we contribute by linking the observed pattern of outward FDI with Turkish firms’ motivation for investment across national borders. We enrich research by collecting and analyzing FDI motivation data at the firm-level for a very important but less researched developing country: Turkey. Content analysis of text material on the foreign investments made by 211 Turkish firms reveals that Turkish firms primarily perform FDI in European developed countries for reasons other than conventional, namely, market- and strategic-asset-seeking motivations. More importantly, Turkish firms seem to be using the European countries to (1) present themselves as a European Union company, (2) make use of special features of these countries to expand their businesses within and to other countries and, (3) make use of the favorable tax treatment policies available to foreign investors. Surprisingly, our analysis shows that in spite of its small size, the Netherlands is a preferred destination for Turkish FDI over other Western European countries due to its strategic location and favorable investment policies.

Details

Emerging Economies and Multinational Enterprises
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78441-740-6

Keywords

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