Cases 2
Cases 2
Cases 2
POCO
BA SOCIOLOGY 1A
ABSTRACT
… the crucial role network connections play in facilitating the movement of migrants and
in serving as a resource both for the migrants settling in a new place (e.g., job and
socialization opportunities) and for those they leave behind (e.g., remittances).
… a strategy of embedding visual tools within an in-depth interview is assessed using a
study on the support networks of Filipino nurses, domestic workers, and care workers in
London and New York.
INTRODUCTION
The significance of social networks for migrants moving and settling in places of
destinations has been emphasized in various studies and recognized in migration
scholarship. (Cases 2020:1)
Migrant networks are crucial for geographical mobility, destination options, integration
(and survival) in receiving societies, and transnational engagements (Faist, 2000; Gurak
& Caces, 1992; Ryan, Erel, & D’ Angelo, 2015).
… migrant networks are taken for granted as a given instead of unpacking how “networks
are composed and structured, how they evolve over time, which resources are exchanged
through such networks, and how they are embedded in larger structures” (Cases 2020:1)
Because of the lack of engagement between network analysis and migration research,
developments and refinements in the field of network analysis are hardly applied in
migration studies (Bashi, 2007; Boyd, 1989).
It means that a lot of the time, people who study migration don't use methods
from network analysis, even though those methods could be really helpful.
This paper discusses the application of a mapping and visualization tool used in social
network analysis (SNA) in exploring the composition, function, and evolution of migrant
support networks of Filipinos in New York and London. (Cases 2020:1)
The instrument – a sociogram or network map – was employed in combination with in-
depth interviews. (Cases 2020:1)
The goal of this piece is to present the methodological reflections concerning the
integration of network mapping and visualization within migrants’ narratives, the
design and administration of the instrument, the implications of using this tool in
the quality of data collected, and its contributions to our further understanding of
the processual and relational dimensions of migration. (Cases 2020:1)
… an attempt at contributing to the emerging works that utilized social network
methodology in migration studies.
The Research Project and the Instrument
The methodological reflections for this paper are derived from a doctoral research project
that compared the pre- and post-migration experiences and support networks of Filipino
nurses, domestics, and care workers in the London and New York metropolitan areas.
(Cases 2020:1)
Examined were the ego-centric networks of 134 respondents (58 in London and 76 in
New York) in three migration phases:
First, before coming to London or New York;
Second, initial period of adjustment
Third, the current network as a result of the subsequent process of settlement in
the place of destination (in total, 402 network maps).
… dividing the migration process in three phases provided the opportunity to study
network dynamics and networking practices, albeit retrospectively. (Cases 2020:1)
… sociogram used in the study was composed of four concentric circles with the
respondent represented as a dot in the middle. (Cases 2020:2)
Each circle represented level of importance:
the nearer the circle to the middle, the more important it is for the respondent.
the last circle was for problematic ties – those who are important but in a negative way.
Among others, these were the recruitment agencies who facilitated their move but also
swindled them.