Description
This book provides one of the most comprehensive researches on Thai marriage migrants in Germany to date. It investigates the employment dilemma of Thai marriage migrants after implementation of the new Residence Act of 2005 in Germany. Also it sheds light on the underlying problems that hinder Thai marriage migrants’ potential as full-time labourers, examines the Thai diaspora and explores the present-day trans-nationalism of Thai marriage migrants in Germany. Most importantly, it applies Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical concept of capital, habitus and social space to better understand Thai marriage migrants’ career choices in the German milieu.
Table of Contents
01. INTRODUCTION 1
Research Questions …………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Structure of the Thesis ………………………………………………………………………………. 5
02. LITERATURE REVIEW 7
A Historical Overview of Thai Migration to Germany ………………………………. 7
Early Era of Migration ………………………………………………………………………….. 7
Feminisation of Thai Migration Through Marriage after 1990 …………….. 11
Present-day Thai wives and Their Potentials as Labours ………………………18
Feminisation and Marriage Migration ……………………………………………………..25
Germany as a Labour Market for Gendered Migration …………………………….26
Recognition of Well-educated Dependents of Migrants ………………………. 26
Comparative Experiences of Female Migrants in German Labour Market
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 28
Differences in Definitions of Skilled Labours between Thailand and
Germany …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 31
Recognition of Education and Skills of Female Migrants …………………….. 32
03. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS 35
Transnationalism …………………………………………………………………………………….. 35
Nina Glick Schiller, Linda Basch and Cristina Blanc-Szanton ………………37
Alejandro Portes …………………………………………………………………………………39
Steven Vertovec ……………………………………………………………………………………41
Socio-Cultural Transformations …………………………………………… 43
Political Transformations …………………………………………………….. 46
Economic Transformations ………………………………………………….. 47
Religion Transformations …………………………………………………….. 50
Pierre Bourdieu’s Habitus and Social Space ………………………………………………52
04. METHODOLOGIES 57
Population and Samplings ……………………………………………………………………….. 57
Limitations………………………………………………………………………………………………. 58
Data Collection ………………………………………………………………………………………..60
Qualitative Methods …………………………………………………………………………….60
Quantitative Methods ………………………………………………………………………….62
05. MARRIAGE MIGRATION AND EMPLOYMENT DILEMMA AFTER 2005 65
Qualifications Improvement of New-generation Thai Migrants ………………..67
Marriage Migration …………………………………………………………………………………70
Channel ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 70
Dating …………………………………………………………………………………………………71
Subordinate Familial Position ………………………………………………………………74
Language Proficiency and Residency ……………………………………………………….. 75
Employment Dilemma ……………………………………………………………………………..76
Causes of Employment Dilemma ……………………………………………………………..77
Employment Discrimination ……………………………………………………………………83
The Booming of Thai Massage and Prostitution in Disguised ………………….. 83
06. DIASPORA AND TRANSNATIONALISM 87
Diaspora ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 87
Diasporic Stigmas and Stereotypes ………………………………………………………90
Integration …………………………………………………………………………………………..93
Transnationalism …………………………………………………………………………………….. 94
Dual Citizenship/ Nationalisation……………………………………………………….. 95
Buddhism …………………………………………………………………………………………… 96
Homeland politics ……………………………………………………………………………….98
Diasporic Associations ………………………………………………………………………..99
07. BOURDIEU AND CAREER CHOICE 103
Devaluation, Transformation and Decrease of Capital ……………………………103
Cultural Capital …………………………………………………………………………………103
Social Capital ……………………………………………………………………………………105
Economic Capital ………………………………………………………………………………107
Social Space, Habitus and Career Choice ………………………………………………..108
Vicious Circle and Habitus ……………………………………………………………………..116
08. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 119
Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………………..119
