Between social dumping and social protection. The challenge of creating ’orderly working conditions’ among Polish circular migrants in the Copenhagen area, Denmark.

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Abstract

In a world increasingly challenged by neoliberal restructurings of labour markets within the global economy, labour organisation is continuously challenged. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted among Polish construction workers in Denmark, both at their place of work and in their homes in Denmark and Poland, this article traces the objective of creating “orderly working conditions” at insecure and temporary workplaces. The relational analysis – going into work organisation
and work/family dynamics – shows how “Polishness” is used as a brand (that the unions need to adjust to) connoting flexibility and availability, and that the composition of the migrant family significantly impacts how migratory practices are made feasible and desirable.

Keywords: East-West migrants, labour mobility, social dumping, migrant families, ethnographic fieldwork
Original languageEnglish
JournalEthnologia Europaea: Journal for European Ethnology
Volume44
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)23-37
ISSN0425-4597
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Jun 2014

Keywords

  • Faculty of Humanities
  • Poland
  • Denmark
  • Social dumping

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