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“Like Machines” in Thailand’s Seafood Industry

Dahlquist, Matilda LU (2017) MIDM19 20171
LUMID International Master programme in applied International Development and Management
Department of Human Geography
Abstract
This thesis seeks to answer the research question: How can we understand the experiences of Burmese female migrants working in Thailand’s seafood-industry through the lens of interdependent reproductive, productive and virtual economies? The purpose is to increase understanding of Burmese female migrants’ experiences, illustrating how these are influenced by complex social relations and power-dynamics. In doing so, this thesis aims to contribute to understanding of globalisation by revealing its uneven and oppressive material-symbolic effects. Using feminist, critical realist case-study design, primary fieldwork was performed in Samutsakhon, Thailand. Semi-structured individual- and group-interviews with Burmese female seafood-processing... (More)
This thesis seeks to answer the research question: How can we understand the experiences of Burmese female migrants working in Thailand’s seafood-industry through the lens of interdependent reproductive, productive and virtual economies? The purpose is to increase understanding of Burmese female migrants’ experiences, illustrating how these are influenced by complex social relations and power-dynamics. In doing so, this thesis aims to contribute to understanding of globalisation by revealing its uneven and oppressive material-symbolic effects. Using feminist, critical realist case-study design, primary fieldwork was performed in Samutsakhon, Thailand. Semi-structured individual- and group-interviews with Burmese female seafood-processing workers were carried out through a combined, qualitative data-creation approach. Research participants’ stories are analysed in an iterative process using Peterson’s (2002) inter-disciplinary “RPV-framing” for integrating Reproductive, Productive and Virtual Economies (understood as systemic sites of power). This analysis shows that Burmese female migrant workers’ experiences are strongly shaped by systemic determinations of value that are reproduced at micro-, meso- and macro-levels. Their experiences construct, reproduce and are subjected to under-valuation of women’s work, values which influence their lives in complex ways. I conclude that their choice to migrate is a reproductive strategy that results in multiple burdens and requires complex, flexible strategies. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Dahlquist, Matilda LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
An Analysis of Burmese Female Migrants’ Experiences through Reproductive, Productive and Virtual Economies
course
MIDM19 20171
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
globalisation, gender, feminism, productive and reproductive work, social reproduction
language
English
id
8906994
date added to LUP
2018-03-09 10:25:02
date last changed
2018-03-09 10:25:02
@misc{8906994,
  abstract     = {{This thesis seeks to answer the research question: How can we understand the experiences of Burmese female migrants working in Thailand’s seafood-industry through the lens of interdependent reproductive, productive and virtual economies? The purpose is to increase understanding of Burmese female migrants’ experiences, illustrating how these are influenced by complex social relations and power-dynamics. In doing so, this thesis aims to contribute to understanding of globalisation by revealing its uneven and oppressive material-symbolic effects. Using feminist, critical realist case-study design, primary fieldwork was performed in Samutsakhon, Thailand. Semi-structured individual- and group-interviews with Burmese female seafood-processing workers were carried out through a combined, qualitative data-creation approach. Research participants’ stories are analysed in an iterative process using Peterson’s (2002) inter-disciplinary “RPV-framing” for integrating Reproductive, Productive and Virtual Economies (understood as systemic sites of power). This analysis shows that Burmese female migrant workers’ experiences are strongly shaped by systemic determinations of value that are reproduced at micro-, meso- and macro-levels. Their experiences construct, reproduce and are subjected to under-valuation of women’s work, values which influence their lives in complex ways. I conclude that their choice to migrate is a reproductive strategy that results in multiple burdens and requires complex, flexible strategies.}},
  author       = {{Dahlquist, Matilda}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{“Like Machines” in Thailand’s Seafood Industry}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}