The Mobility–Immobility Dynamic and the ‘Fixing’ of Migrants’ Labour Power

Scott, Sam ORCID: 0000-0002-5951-4749 and Rye, Johan Fredrik ORCID: 0000-0001-5252-359X (2023) The Mobility–Immobility Dynamic and the ‘Fixing’ of Migrants’ Labour Power. Critical Sociology. doi:10.1177/08969205231197341 (In Press)

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Abstract

Low-wage labour migration from lower- to higher-income economies has become a precondition for capital accumulation. As a part of this, neoliberal actors (businesses and states) strive to actively produce migrants with a strong work ethic. They do this in numerous ways. In this paper, we draw upon labour process theory to argue that a ‘mobility–immobility dynamic’ is a major way capital now controls precarious workers. The mobility–immobility dynamic relates to low-wage workers’ need to move (and often circulate) internationally but, once they have moved, a desire by businesses and states to keep them in place. The fixing of migrants both across space (through transnational mobility) and in place (through immobility) underlines the importance of a multi-scalar approach to understanding the control of the transnational working-class. We draw on evidence from European horticulture – 36 in-depth interviews with migrant workers, employers and community stakeholders in Norway and the United Kingdom – to highlight the mobility–immobility dynamic in practice.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Scott, S., & Rye, J. F. (2023). The Mobility–Immobility Dynamic and the ‘Fixing’ of Migrants’ Labour Power. Critical Sociology. https://doi.org/10.1177/08969205231197341
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Fix; Geography; Labour; Migration; Mobility; Immobility; Process; Sociology
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > G Geography (General) G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GF Human geography. Human ecology. Anthropogeography H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Education and Science
Research Priority Areas:	Place, Environment and Community
Depositing User:	Sam Scott
Date Deposited:	08 Sep 2023 11:10
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2024 09:15
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/13134

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