In or Out? Understanding How Social and Symbolic Boundaries Influence the Economic Integration of Transnational Migrants in Non‐Metropolitan Economies

Abstract

This article uses data from Australia and Northern Ireland to examine migrants' inclusion in non-metropolitan economies that have limited experience of migration. These places came to our attention in recent decades when the accelerated arrival of migrants presented challenges and opportunities within these so called New Immigration Destinations. We scrutinise migrants' entry into, their participation in, and eventual mobility within, the labour market in these places. Contributing to the literature that challenges a linear concept of integration, social and symbolic boundaries are used to explore how migrants are included or excluded from rural and regional labour markets. We show how the state frames legal boundaries of inclusion and exclusion and how those boundaries are influenced and manipulated by a range of social actors, including private sector agents working within agri-food businesses. We find a misalignment between different scales of social boundaries. At a macro level, migrants may be included in the labour market while in reality they can be excluded through everyday interactions.

Belonging and its frames: Rural employers' boundary construction concerning immigrant employees

“…In the same way as McAreavey and Krivokapic‐Skoko (2019) argue in their study of integration in the context of the rural labour market; we suggest that boundaries are a useful tool for examining and revealing the very complex nature of belonging in the context of rural working life. Although boundaries are not a widely used tool for examining social interaction in rural areas (for an exception, see de Lima, 2012; McAreavey & Krivokapic‐Skoko, 2019), we suggest that examining belonging through boundaries can offer a new and nuanced insight into social interaction in working life in rural areas. Thus, our research questions are: (1) What kind of boundaries do rural entrepreneurs create when they speak about immigrant employees?…”

“…Previous studies have examined boundaries from several perspectives, for instance, language and religion (Zolberg & Long, 1999), rural labour markets (McAreavey & Krivokapic‐Skoko, 2019), or by comparing boundaries in different European countries (Bail, 2008) and examining boundaries’ significance for second‐generation immigrants’ experiences of belonging to a nation (Simonsen, 2018). These are all important contributions, but the research focus has not been on discourses, which are one context in which boundaries are maintained and negotiated (Getrich, 2008; Nevins, 2010).…”

“…However, immigration to rural areas is not necessarily a painless process, as a strong sense of conformity may require immigrants to adapt to the local culture and social practices (Hayfield & Schug, 2019; Zahl‐Thanem & Haugen, 2019). Despite being integrated into labour markets and being familiar to the community, immigrants might remain outsiders from local social networks (Aure et al., 2018; McAreavey & Krivokapic‐Skoko, 2019; Membretti & Lucchini, 2018; Stachowski, 2020). As Hayfield and Schug (2019) state, even though immigrants might be locally accepted, lack of historical family relations and social networks can place them in a position in which they are considered ‘familiar strangers’ and outsiders.…”

Shifting categories, changing attitudes: A boundary work approach in the study of attitudes toward migrants

“…He argues that boundary work is politically embedded as policies leave an imprint regarding how immigration is viewed: multicultural policies weaken symbolic boundaries recognizing cultural differences, whereas integration policies weaken skill‐related boundaries. The relation between different levels of boundaries is examined also by McAreavey and Krivokapic‐Skoko (2019), who focus on the inclusion of immigrants in rural and regional economies in Australia and Northern Ireland. They show that while the state frames legal boundaries in an inclusive way, in everyday interactions, migrants may be excluded.…”

Invisible Agents of Rural Development. Russian Immigrant Women in the Finnish Border Region

“…Though it is hoped that immigrants may be a means by which to "rescue" rural regions (Aure et al, 2018), research suggests that foreign arrivals are not always included in rural communities (Søholt et al, 2018). Immigrants in destinations with a limited experience of immigration may face resistance (McConnell and Miraftab 2009) and find themselves trapped in low-paid precarious positions (Rye and Scott 2018), as rural areas often lack the services, networks and competencies to effectively support their integration (McAreavey and Krivokapic-Skoko 2019).…”