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Macro Conditions of Class and Micro Patterns of Social Interaction: The Problem of Studying Labor Migrants' Discontent in the Time of Economic Instability
Natalya D. Tregubova
Dmitry M. Zhikharevich
Valentin S. Starikov
Comparative Sociology Department,
St. Petersburg State University, Russia
anrezaev@yandex.ru
Macro Conditions of Class and Micro Patterns of Social Interaction: the Problem of Studying Labor Migrants’ Discontent in the Time of Economic Instability
Paper to be presented at the XVIII ISA World Congress, Research Committee on Sociology of Migration, RC 31
The paper aims to focus not only on the limited control over migrants’ external situation in host societies, cultural discrimination or accessibility to legal protection, but to examine the problem of migrants’ everyday life practices in theirs uncertain condition, specifically in the time of economic instability. We try to conceptualize this emergent experience within the framework of the sociology of emotions by labeling it as ‘discontent’, which is understood as a long-term emotion, (a) determined by the structural conditions, (b) created by and transmitted through the everyday social interaction, and (c) capable to result into collective action. This analytical move allows us to study ‘discontent’ at both macro- and micro-levels without losing its specific content.
In terms of theoretical and methodological foundations the research is oriented toward ethnographic institutionalism. We try to provide theoretical groundings and empirical evidence to justify an approach that link the micro experiences with the macro institutional arrangements through the detailed studies of migrants’ everyday life practices.
The data come from the three longitudinal field research Projects jointly supported by Vietnamese state foundation (2008-2010), CARI - Greece (2010-2012), and Russian state foundation - RGNF (2013-2016). The field researches dealt with everyday life practices (including “alternate practices”) of transnational labor migrants in Athens, Greece and St. Petersburg, Russia.