Down-skilling African women Downunder : a Bourdieuian analysis

Abstract

This research focuses on the difficulties highly qualified African female migrants face when entering the labour market after arriving in Australia. The majority of the participants in this study have experienced a significant or lesser level of down-skilling. This study locates a sample of African women who have experienced down-skilling within the Australian workforce. The research draws on the work of Pierre Bourdieu and his theory of social practice (1997; 1990), which forms a theoretical framework for this research study. Case study methodology was used as a way of collecting in-depth qualitative data, drawing on the narrative of case studies. The goal of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the processes that led to some of these women being excluded from skilled positions for which they were qualified, while other African women gained their desired positions. The study also explores the ways in which these women deploy their social, cultural, linguistic and economic capital and how they reconvert that capital into the Australian context. In Chapter One, I introduce the focus of the research study, while Chapter Two presents an overview of the conceptual framework that underpins the study. Chapter Three contains a review of the relevant literature on the migration and down-skilling of African migrant women in Australia and other Western countries. In Chapter Four, the research methodology is described. Chapter Five documents the interviews and narrative stories of 15 black African migrant women from English-speaking African countries. In Chapter Six, I present a summary of the research findings and a discussion. Chapter Seven summarises the arguments presented in this study and the implications of these findings on the down-skilling of African migrant women, and makes suggestions for areas of possible further research. Most women in this study have experienced significant or lesser levels of down-skilling. The black African migrant women in this study have also experienced marginalization, discrimination, exclusion and isolation, as well as both indirect and direct racism. Almost all of the black African migrant women in this study have reconverted to other occupations. The majority of the women have reconverted to the nursing field and other lower level occupations in the care industry. In their countries of origin, gender discrimination experienced by women attempting to access education can mean that fewer women than men have the ability to acquire the skills that are necessary to migrate. Conversely, gender discriminatory employment practices in their countries of origin can actually encourage some women to migrate. When they arrive in their destination countries, qualified black African migrant women again face discrimination based on 'race', ethnicity and their lack of Australian-recognized education and/or local work experience. Therefore, the issues facing qualified migrant women are not only gendered but also racialized. The women in this study have applied agency and provided an example for others to follow. After failing to break through the employment barriers and secure employment in the areas for which they were qualified, they reconverted to other fields. Reconversion is one of Bourdieu's concepts that I have endeavoured to emphasize. I would like the reader to appreciate not only the great challenges, difficulties and struggles faced by the black African women in this study, but also their collective narrative of courage and agency -'a habitus that puts up a hat of agency'- a story of resilience and great transformation and change.

Date of Award	2017
Original language	English