Transgressive vs Conformative: Immigrant Women Learning at Contingent Work

Autor/inn/en	Maitra, Srabani; Shan, Hongxia
Titel	Transgressive vs Conformative: Immigrant Women Learning at Contingent Work
Quelle	In: Journal of Workplace Learning, 19 (2007) 5, S.286-295 (10 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1366-5626
DOI	10.1108/13665620710757842
Schlagwörter	Females; Work Environment; Immigrants; Employed Women; Gender Issues; Interviews; Educational Attainment; Job Skills; Job Development; Employment Qualifications; Job Satisfaction; Employment Opportunities; Informal Education; Foreign Countries; Canada + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Weibliches Geschlecht; Arbeitsmilieu; Immigrant; Immigrantin; Immigranten; 'Female employment; Women''s employment'; Frauenbeschäftigung; Geschlechterfrage; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Bildungsabschluss; Bildungsgut; Produktive Fertigkeit; Employment qualification; Vocational qualification; Vocational qualifications; Berufliche Qualifikation; Labor; Labour; Satisfaction; Arbeit; Zufriedenheit; Berufschance; Beschäftigungschance; Informelle Bildung; Nichtformale Bildung; Ausland; Kanada
Abstract	Purpose--The paper seeks to explore workers' learning in relation to the racialized and gendered organization of contingent work. Design/methodology/approach--This paper is informed by Marxist theorization of labour power and learning. It draws on the interview data of 24 highly educated immigrant women from the research project "Skilled In Vulnerability: Work-related Learning Amongst Contingent Workers". Findings--The two types of learning that we have identified include conformative and transgressive learning. Conformative learning refers to the learning that workers engage in to conform to the workplace expectations. The workers are not rewarded or acknowledged for their learning endeavors, and their efforts end up being appropriated by employers to maximize surplus value. Transgressive learning refers to the learning initiatives undertaken by workers to challenge and transcend the depressing work environment and life conditions. Research limitations/implications--This research was not able to capture what conditions facilitate transgressive learning versus conformative learning. Practical implications--The study first calls on the state to deal with the systemic negation of professional immigrants' previous skills and learning experiences. Second, it encourages employers to provide appropriate training and reward the workers for their learning endeavor. Third, drawing on the research findings, work educators could help foster the forms of learning that are conducive to workers' better control of work and life. The authors also suggest that to optimize their work and life opportunities in general, immigrant women workers need to come together, exchange information and knowledge, learn from each other, and form collective actions amongst themselves. Originality/value--This paper contributes to the literature on workplace learning from a learning perspective. It is one of the first endeavors to look at how highly educated immigrant women learn to exercise agency to challenge contingent work structures. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10