Migration Regime and 'Language Part of Work

Experiences of Syrian Refugees as Surplus Population in the Turkish Labor Market

Bibliographic Data

ID2370775
AuthorsMaissam Nimer (0000-0001-9594-3463, Istanbul Policy Center at Sabancı University, Turkey, corresponding author), B Rottmann (0000-0003-0680-6999, Social Sciences Faculty, Özyeğin University, Turkey), Susan Beth Rottmann
Year2021
Volume47
Issue4-5
Pages763-776
Publication date2021-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCritical Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0896-9205 • E-ISSN: 1569-1632
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0896920520964856
OpenAlexW3094564278
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited35

The literature on migration, language and employment is dominated by the human capital approach and promotes multilingualism as a universal good. This paper examines the relationship between language and work for migrants illustrating how they are ascribed value as capital according to their position and the 'language part of work.' First, we trace a genealogy of the migration regime in relation to the labor and linguistic market of migrants in Turkey, characterized by informality and exploitation. Then, we look at the experiences of refugees qualitatively to show how language is differentially valued and has modest effects on social mobility. We argue that language learning instead of stemming from individuals' possession of capital should be examined within a broader linguistic and employment framework. This research goes beyond conventional wisdom about the centrality of language as a means to improve employment by shedding light on the structure that shapes language value

Centrality · Economics · Human capital · Linguistics · Market economy · Multilingualism · Political science · Refugee · Sociology · Turkish · Diaspora, migration, transnational identity · Law · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Refugees, and Integration

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