TYLA: Social participation of overseas workers after returning home (case study of some communes and wards in Nghe An province)

Author name: Mr. Thi Mai Thuong

Thesis title:Social participation of overseas workers after returning home (case study of some communes and wards in Nghe An province)

Dissertation field: Sociology

Major: Sociology Code: 62 31 03 01

Name of the postgraduate training unit: University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

1. Purpose and research objects of the thesis

1.1. Research purpose:

This study aims to clarify the social participation of Vietnamese workers working abroad after returning home, adding practical documents for social policy makers.

1.2. Research subjects:

The research object of the thesis is the social participation of overseas workers after returning home.

2. Research methods used

2.1. Document analysis method

This study focuses on analyzing the following main contents: Firstly, documents related to theoretical perspectives on social participation such as concepts, measurement methods and factors affecting social participation, which are important bases for forming the theoretical framework of the topic; Secondly, theoretical and empirical studies on migrant workers in the world as well as in Vietnam.

2.2. In-depth interview and case study methods

The in-depth interview method aims to find, discover or explain in more depth the specific aspects of a certain issue in each content of the topic, supplementing the quantitative research results. Specifically in this study, we chose to interview 20 cases, including 10 workers exported under fixed-term contracts and 10 free-lance migrant workers who have returned to live in the locality. The in-depth interview period was implemented from December 2017 to December 2018.

2.3. Questionnaire survey method

In this thesis, the author used the questionnaire survey method to collect quantitative information for the topic. This method was applied to the main target group of people returning from working abroad, including those who went to work abroad under fixed-term contracts and those who migrated for free labor. The topic determined the number of survey samples to be 306. The author selected the sample in a non-probability manner, and the form of distributing the questionnaire was a convenient random selection. The author collected data in a number of communes and wards in Nghe An province.

3. Main results and conclusions

3.1. Main results

- Overview of previous research works to obtain a relatively complete and valuable source of theoretical and practical reference information for research on the social participation of overseas workers after returning home.

- Present theoretical basis, research methods and overview of research area.

- Describe the current situation and analyze the advantages and difficulties in the process of reintegrating into economic activities of overseas workers after returning.

- Assess the level and factors affecting the participation in social organizations, unions, and community activities of returned overseas workers.

- Recommend some solutions to enhance the social participation of overseas workers after returning.

3.2. Conclusion

- Most of the overseas workers returning to their homeland have a relatively young average age (36.2 years old) and are in the active working age. This is an advantage for orienting policies on using this labor source.

- The majority of overseas workers returning from this study have difficulty finding jobs after returning. Local authorities have not yet effectively promoted their role in providing job information to this group. The economic activities of returning workers still mainly rely on their own abilities and support and market information orientation from family and friends.

- Workers who have returned for one to two years have more difficulty finding jobs than those who have returned before because they have not had access to information sources about the domestic labor market. On the other hand, the country of work and income when working abroad are correlated with the jobs of returned workers in this study.

- The level of participation in social groups/organizations of returned workers in this study is quite vague because their biggest concern after returning is still economic activities. They tend to actively participate and attach themselves to informal social groups more than formal social groups and organizations in the locality. Formal social groups/organizations in the locality have not really been proactive in caring for and supporting overseas workers after returning. The mutual relationship between returned workers and the informal social groups they participate in is mainly sharing of spirit and information about the job market.

- Returned overseas workers participate in local community activities but are still at the level of "not actively participating" because they have not received close attention from the community and local authorities. Workers who have returned for the first one to two years are not active and proactive in participating in community activities because they are not mentally prepared to reintegrate into daily life in their homeland. In addition, returned workers with low incomes participate less in social activities than those with high incomes.

SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL THESIS

Author's name: Mr. Thi Mai Thuong

Thesis title:Social participation of migrant workers returned from overseas (Case study in some communes and wards in Nghe An province)

Scientific branch: Sociology

Major:Sociology Code: 62310301

Name of postgraduate training institution: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

1. Purpose and objectives

1.1.Research objectives:

This study is to make clear the participation in social activities of migrant Vietnamese workers returned from abroad, and provide practical documents to social policy makers.

1.2.Research object:

The research object of this thesis is social participation of migrant workers returned from overseas

2.Research methodology

2.1. Literature analysis

The study focuses on analyzing key contents: First, documents related to theoretical views on social participation including concept, ways of measurement and factors affecting social participation; which is an important basis forming theoretical framework of the thesis; second, are theoretical studies and practice of returned migrant workers in the world and Vietnam.

2.2. In-depth interviews and case studies

In-depth interview is to seek and find out or explain further specific dimensions of an issue in each content of the thesis, supplementing quantitative survey results. In this study, we interviewed 20 cases including 10 regular migrant workers who worked overseas under contract and 10 irregular migrant workers who have returned back to their home towns. The interviews were conducted between December 2017 and December 2018.

2.3. Survey by questionnaire

In this thesis, the author applies the method of survey using questionnaire to collect quantitative data. This method was used with the group of key objects who are migrant workers returned from overseas including regular and irregular migrant workers. The sample includes 306 respondents. The way of sampling is non-probability, questionnaire handout is a convenient random selection. The author collected data in some communes and wards in Nghe An province.

3.Major results and conclusions

3.1.Major results

- Review of existing research results is to collect rather comprehensive reference on theory and practice valuable for the study on social participation of returned migrant workers from abroad.

- Presentation of theoretical basis, research methodology and overview of research sites.

- Description and analysis of advantages and disadvantages of the process of reintegration in economic activities of returned migrant workers from abroad.

- Assessment of the level and factors affecting the participation of returned migrant workers in social and mass organizations and community activities.

- Recommended solutions to increase social participation of returned migrant workers from abroad.

3.2. Conclusions

- Most migrant workers returned from abroad are quite young (36.2 years of age on average) and are in energetic working age. This is an advantage for policy orientation to use this labor force.

- Most returned migrant workers in this study face difficulty in finding jobs after their return. Local competent authorities have not made full use of their role as employment information provider to this group of workers. Returned migrant workers, in their economic activities, rely on their own efforts and their family members and friends for labor market information.

- For workers who have returned home face more difficulties in finding jobs in the first one or two years after their return than those who returned earlier, because they have not accessed to domestic market labor information. Moreover, destination countries and income abroad are somehow similar in terms of jobs to those done by migrant workers on return.

- The level of participation in society and mass organizations of returned migrant workers in this study is low because their greatest concern is economic activities. They tend to actively take part in and be attached more with informal social groups than official social groups and mass organizations in their localities. Local mass organizations/official groups are not proactive in caring for and supporting returned migrant workers. Mutual support between returned migrant workers and informal social groups which they take part is mainly spiritual sharing and information on employment market.

- Returned migrant workers take part in local community activities but not “proactive”, because they have not yet received care and support from the community and local authorities. For migrant workers in one to two years after their return are not proactive in joining community activities as they are not yet prepared to reintegrate in local daily life. In addition, for those returned migrant workers who have low income take part less in social activities than those who have higher income.