Formation of Neo-Plural Societies as Emerging Migration Regimes

Session Submission Type: Organized Panel Proposal Application

Abstract

This session investigates neo-plural societies as emerging migration regimes characterized by a dualization of residents between citizen and non-citizen. Non-citizens are primarily composed of temporary workers that supplement the demand in the labor shortage of the host country. They have a high proportion in the labor force, as compared to citizen workers, but are without freedom of settlement, lacks mobility, and experiences political and cultural segregation.

The studies in this panel discuss and classify neo-plural societies into countries with high welfare provision, such as oil-producing countries, Brunei and other Gulf countries, where foreign workers comprise 30-90% of the total labor force in the labor market. The other is the rapidly growing yet demographically declining societies where foreign workers not only supplement the labor force, but also maintain the presence of women in the labor market; such as Hong Kong and Singapore.

The studies show that neo-plural societies exhibit a significant departure from European and North American countries in terms of migration policies, migrant populations’ entitlements and rights, social integration, and the formation of public and intimate spheres. However, this segregation does not necessarily mean isolation of non-citizens. The studies exhibit these departures through the formation of transnational intimate spheres, intercultural connectivity, and the growth of second generation.

Area of Study

• Southeast Asia

Session Organizer

• Wako Asato, Kyoto University

Individual Presentations

• Bangladeshi Migrant workers in Brunei: Migration, Employment and Networking - Mst. Rayhena Sarker, Universiti Brunei Darussalam

• Citizenship, Entitlement, and Labor Migration in Brunei - Wako Asato, Kyoto University

• Citizens and Foreign Workers in Singapore: From the Perspective of the Neo-plural Society - Yuka Ishii, University of Shizuoka

• Longtime Filipino Sojourners’ Relationships in the Arab Gulf States - Akiko Watanabe, Bunkyo University

Discussant

• Masaki Matsuo, Utsunomiya University