‘Fitting In’: Social Cohesion among Skilled Migrant Indian Women and Host Diasporic Communities in South Africa

Migration has traditionally been seen as a primarily male domain, particularly in developing countries. However, global practices have increased the visibility of women migrants such that the feminisation and irregularisation of migration has led to new flows of transnational migrant movements, particularly to South Africa. Attention is drawn to the growth of South-South migration, specifically focusing on Indian migrant women, as accompanying their professional spouses migrating to South Africa. Set within a social cohesion framework, this paper examines how the women attempt to find a ‘fit’ in a socially diverse society where distrust, exclusion and racism still prevail. This investigation is based on exploratory research using qualitative interviews conducted with married Indian women. The focus of this paper examines the reasons for their migration, their choice to migrate specifically to South Africa, perceptions of South Africa, their sense of inclusion and observes if they develop a sense of belonging to the country. Preliminary findings show that the migrants find South Africans very tolerant, but keep to themselves as the fear of crime impedes integration

Migrant communities, identity, and belonging : exploring the views of South Asian migrants in Fordsburg, South Africa

Abstract: In May 2016 the murder of Masonga Kitanda Olivier, a 23- year-old Congolese French teacher in New Delhi, India turned the lens on racism and discrimination on African nationals living in India. In the week after Olivier’s death, two further incidents against foreign nationals were reported. In Hyderabad, a Nigerian male was beaten up and hospitalised and in the south Delhi area, three separate attacks on nine African nationals, including four women and a boy took place. These attacks are not new and such incidents have been reported since 2013. While these attacks have been reported, many such incidents go unreported and daily incidents of racism continue unabated. The attacks against African nationals highlight incidents of discrimination experienced by African students and workers on the Indian sub-continent. Govindarajan (2016) argues that the government seems unwilling to acknowledge that xenophobia might be rife within its communities; instead it seeks to implement short term measures as opposed to long-term

The Temporality of Mothering through the use of ICTs by Zimbabwean Women Informal Cross-Border Traders

The article explores how Zimbabwean women cross-border traders travelling to Tanzania used Information Communication Technologies ICTs particularly the mobile phone for communicating with family customers and shop owners The African feminist theory explained the women s traders innovation in using ICTs The study was grounded in the qualitative approach with the case study being the research design In-depth interviews were the main data collection method employed Nine key informants were purposively selected and twelve women cross-border traders aged between 24 and 53 years were snowballed Collected data was presented in both narrative and descriptive forms The findings indicated that the participants were forced to navigate the borders searching for livelihoods as they engaged the precarious venture of informal cross-border trading Their frequent absence from home meant they had to mother their children from a distance The participants in this study used ICTs to fulfil their mothering roles which brings out the temporality of mothering from afar In addition the findings indicated that the mobile phone was used to listen to music on the way to Tanzania The study recommends that women traders embrace information communication technologies fully as they choose smart ways of conducting busines

Forged communities : a sociological exploration of identity and community amongst immigrant and migrant communities in Fordsburg

Abstract: Please refer to full text to view abstractD.Litt. et Phil

Transnational forced migration and negotiating emotional well-being : the case of women refugees in South Africa

This study seeks to gain a better understanding of how a group of women refugees perceives their emotional well-being and how they make sense of their emotions. The discussion is based on a comparative qualitative study done in South Africa among Congolese, Burundian and Zimbabwean refugees. Attention is paid to intrapersonal emotional ambivalence and how the emotional well-being of refugees relates to their socio-economic context and more specifically their challenging life experiences. Reference is made to the role children and religion play in respondents perceived emotional well-being and hope for the future. In addition, all the respondents had to manage emotions related to transnational familial ties. On the one hand, an acute sense of family separation was experienced. On the other, respondents felt a sense of financial responsibility towards their kin who were left behind. Yet, few respondents had the means to provide family members with any form of financial assistance. This in turn had repercussions for their emotional well-being

Sociology 1B

Exam paper for second semester 201