'There will be no law, or people to protect us': Irregular Southeast Asian seasonal workers in Taiwan before and during the pandemic
Journal of Agrarian Change
; 2023.
Article
in English
| Web of Science | ID: covidwho-20234304
ABSTRACT
This paper investigates the everyday lived realities of Southeast Asian migrant workers who left the formal sector of the labour market and entered the informal agricultural sector before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan. Drawing on observations of migrants' daily lives and farm work and 19 in-depth interviews, it delves into migrants' subjective experiences of vulnerability, paternalism, exploitation, and control at work due to a lack of legal protection and the illegality of their employment. Although the literature has identified a link between 'running away' from formal employment and seeking freedom, this research suggests a continuum between experiences of work in the formal and informal economic sectors. The paper sheds new light on mobility, work, illegality, and informality and how these have constantly shaped 'runaway' workers' subjective experiences of freedom and unfreedom during the pandemic.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
Databases of international organizations
Database:
Web of Science
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
Language:
English
Journal:
Journal of Agrarian Change
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
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