Transnationalism and Labor Geography

Abstract

This article defines labor geography as the study of labor markets, work processes (both waged and unwaged), and labor mobilization as they are constituted in places, across space, and at various scales. Transnationalism is understood as a process of globalization ‘from below’ in which migrant workers and their households create multistranded ties between home and host societies, or a process whereby workers engage in forms of organization that cross national borders. The intersection between labor geography and transnationalism is examined in four ways. The first concerns research that has explored how migrant transnationalism affects the working of labor markets, especially those in major gateway cities where migrants have tended to settle, as well as other cities where temporary migrant workers form a significant component of the labor force. The second relates to the effects of migrant transnationalism on the operation of workplace labor processes, demonstrating the implications of transnational dislocation for workers’ experiences. The third explores how transnational ties often stretch households across global space and can reorder the way in which unwaged labor is allocated within the home. The fourth examines how workers or labor advocacy organizations have organized themselves transnationally in order to pursue workplace disputes or assert the rights of workers.