The Invisible Cage uncovers the hidden history of the cycle of labor migration and return of hundreds of thousands of un- and semi-skilled Syrian workers in Lebanon. It traces how Syrians came to comprise a significant proportion of Lebanon's workforce during the 1950s and 1960s, the ways in which these Syrians lived through Lebanon's civil wars, and their prolonged unsettlement and exile through both the reconstruction of the 1990s and instability since 2005.
Offering both social history and ethnography, John Chalcraft challenges the commonly held view that a more benign form of economic labor migration, one based on personal choice, emerged with the end of slavery and forced labor in the region. Instead, he shows how both coercion and consent, unintended consequences, and hegemonic forms influence the ongoing rotation of migrant workers. This captivating account of the labor market as 'invisible cage' breaks new ground in Middle East and migration studies alike.
| ISBN: | 9780804758260 |
| Publication date: | 29th October 2008 |
| Author: | John Chalcraft |
| Publisher: | Stanford University Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 336 pages |
| Series: | Stanford Studies in Middle Eastern and Islamic Societies and Cultures |
| Genres: |
Development studies Development economics and emerging economies |
The Invisible Cage uncovers the hidden history of the cycle of labor migration and return of hundreds of thousands of un- and semi-skilled Syrian workers in Lebanon. It traces how Syrians came to comprise a significant proportion of Lebanon's workforce during the 1950s and 1960s, the ways in which these Syrians lived through Lebanon's civil wars, and their prolonged unsettlement and exile through both the reconstruction of the 1990s and instability since 2005.
Offering both social history and ethnography, John Chalcraft challenges the commonly held view that a more benign form of economic labor migration, one based on personal choice, emerged with the end of slavery and forced labor in the region. Instead, he shows how both coercion and consent, unintended consequences, and hegemonic forms influence the ongoing rotation of migrant workers. This captivating account of the labor market as 'invisible cage' breaks new ground in Middle East and migration studies alike.
The Invisible Cage features in the following genres: Development studies, Development economics and emerging economies
The Invisible Cage is available in Paperback
The Invisible Cage was written by John Chalcraft and published by Stanford University Press
The Invisible Cage has 336 pages
Yes it is part of Stanford Studies in Middle Eastern and Islamic Societies and Cultures series