In the Shadows' Exploring the Notion of 'Community' for Temporary Foreign Workers in a Boomtown

Bibliographic Data

ID2609670
AuthorsJason Foster (0000-0002-3683-5101, Athabasca University, corresponding author), Alison Taylor (0000-0002-9980-5575, University of Alberta)
Year2013
Volume38
Issue2
Pages167-190
Publication date2013-06-22
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Canadian Journal of Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0318-6431 • E-ISSN: 1710-1123
PublisherUniversity of Alberta Libraries (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.29173/cjs19891
OpenAlexW1533616893
LanguageEN
Citations received16
References cited16

The rapid expansion of the oil sands in northern Alberta in the early 21st century led to the use of significant numbers of temporary foreign workers. These foreign workers became a part of the region's so-called 'shadow population.' This paper examines how the presence of foreign workers affects conceptions of community and social cohesion through the experiences of foreign workers employed in oil sands construction. The study finds foreign workers are excluded from the life of the community due to their differential exclusion, vulnerable and precarious connection to the labour market, experiences of discrimination, and conflicted transnational community identities. The paper discusses the shortcomings of community and social cohesion approaches in addressing temporary foreign workers and considers the policy limitations of a widespread temporary foreign worker program

Economic growth · Economics · Population · Sociology · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy · Mining and Resource Management · Psychology