Linguistic barriers and bridges: constructing social capital in ethnically diverse low-skill workplaces

Thuesen, Frederik

doi:10.1177/0950017016656321

Cited by 20 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Research from nursing homes has shown that when dialogue and connection among staff are encouraged and arranged for by the management, this leads to higher levels of trust and satisfaction among staff members (Amble, ; Forbes‐Thompson, Leiker, & Bleich, ). The same is also found in research from other workplace contexts (Thuesen, ). More specifically, diversity management is an important tool for counteracting ethnically based workplace discrimination and deskilling (Janssens & Zanoni, ; Munkejord & Tingvold, ; Prasad, Pringle, & Konrad, ; Zanoni & Janssens, ).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Challenging the ethnic pyramid: Golden rules and organisational measures towards a more inclusive work environment

Munkejord

2019

J Nurs Manag

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Aim To contribute to knowledge of how healthcare managers can promote connection and ethnic equality among staff in multicultural organisations. Background The increase in migrant care workers often leads to deskilling, discrimination, communication difficulties and harsh working conditions. Methods A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to examine the work experiences of healthcare workers in a strategically selected nursing home unit with minority and majority workers well balanced across positions. Results Three golden rules were identified: (a) take responsibility for the quality of care in the unit, (b) should engage in all aspects of the care work within scope of practice and (c) collaborate and help each other. Organisational measures supporting these norms were also identified. Conclusion It is possible, by means of golden rules and organisational measures, to foster connection and cooperation among nursing home staff and to promote an inclusive work environment where the workers’ skills and competences are recognized across educational and migration backgrounds. Implications for Nursing Management Healthcare managers can contribute to challenge the ethnic pyramid often identified in multicultural institutions by implementing diversity‐sensitive measures. This may increase the quality of care and the well‐being of residents.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Challenging the ethnic pyramid: Golden rules and organisational measures towards a more inclusive work environment

Munkejord

2019

J Nurs Manag

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“…The breaks therefore seem to be workers' 'free time' to communicate with whom they like and in their language(s) of preference. This is very different to what was found in a recent Danish study where ethnic minority employees in a supermarket were criticized for speaking a foreign language during breaks in the canteen and for not upholding the 'Danish language only' policy of the company (Thuesen 2017).…”

Section: Internal Communication Mediation and Language Brokering In contrasting

confidence: 93%

“Employers could use us, but they don’t”: voices from blue-collar workplaces in a northern periphery

2019

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This article analyses labour market experiences of migrants of non-Nordic origin who have settled in the Faroe Islands, a small North Atlantic archipelago with a population of about 51,000 people. By examining the experiences of educated migrant workers who are employed in three different blue-collar workplaces: a cleaning company and two fish-processing plants, evidence is drawn from a cross-disciplinary study on language and migration in the Faroe Islands. This study explores the experiences of migrants in acquiring, using and becoming “new speakers” of Faroese and the challenges they face regarding labour market access and participation. In this article, framed within an ethnography of language policy, we highlight the institutional language policies which may be shaping migrants’ experiences, and how migrants enact their own language policy decisions and practices on the ground. We focus in particular on internal communication and language management in the three blue-collar worksites, comprising views and voices of both employers and employees, on the language policies and practices observed in these workplaces, and on workers’ views on language learning opportunities in blue-collar workplaces. Added to this, attention is drawn to implications of limited language learning opportunities in blue-collar jobs (which become the main barrier to accessing skilled jobs), to underutilisation of professional skills, and to long term implications of present macro- and micro-level language policies and practices affecting lived realities of workers of migrant origin.

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“…These studies have established clear links between increased proficiency in the majority language of the destination country and labour market position. This view has also been supported by a growing number of qualitative studies which have shown that competence in the dominant language influences migrants' access to social networks and job opportunities (Morosanu, 2016;Ryan, 2016;Thusen, 2017). The role of language in communicating migrants' identity has also been firmly established (Temple, 2010;Johansson and Śliwa, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Dominant Language Acquisition in Destination Countries: Structure, Agency and Reflexivity

et al. 2019

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This article advances understanding of the structural and agentic factors which influence how migrants in low-paid work reflexively acquire the dominant language of destination countries. Bourdieu’s theories on the symbolic power of language and habitus, and theories of reflexivity by Archer and others underpin our analysis of how migrants acquire English in the UK. Analysis of data generated from in-depth qualitative interviews with 31 migrants from EU and non-EU countries in low-paid work reveals that the agency of migrants in increasing proficiency in the language is shaped by access to resources, conscious and unconscious reflexive processes, aspects of embodiment and perceptions of identity by the self and others. We argue that closer attention to the social, political and economic context in which migrants acquire the dominant language of destination countries is needed, as well as greater awareness of the multi-dimensional nature of reflexivity and the constraints on agency.

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Linguistic barriers and bridges: constructing social capital in ethnically diverse low-skill workplaces

Cited by 20 publications

References 51 publications

Challenging the ethnic pyramid: Golden rules and organisational measures towards a more inclusive work environment

Challenging the ethnic pyramid: Golden rules and organisational measures towards a more inclusive work environment

“Employers could use us, but they don’t”: voices from blue-collar workplaces in a northern periphery

Dominant Language Acquisition in Destination Countries: Structure, Agency and Reflexivity

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