5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

If one of bases of power in the labor movement can be derived from the mobilization of immigrant workers in recent times, what kind of things can be mobilized in this process? Immigrants usually reside in their communities in host countries. They are thought to construct their own social networks of interdependence for their survivals. These relationships can buttress strong solidarity in the labor movement. Based on such a reasoning, this session will address following questions.

First, how do social networks operate in immigrant communities? Daily lives in immigrant communities and social independences in there need to be clarified. Second, how can these relationships in networks be mobilized into the labor movement for immigrants? This question can be related to union organizing and the function of worker centers. Third, if these relations for interdependence can be mobilized, how can they affect the labor movement in recent times?

For answering these questions, this session will call for wide-ranging papers addressing relationships between immigrant communities and the labor movement historically, empirically, and theoretically. Historical research on relations between immigrant communities and the labor movement, fieldworks on contemporary organizing activities in immigrant communities, or theoretical analyses on immigrant mobilization are also welcome.