Migration, Work, Social Work and Psycho-Social Theories: Towards Improved Understandings, Knowledge and Practice

Abstract

Historically, migration has been a way for many to improve their working and earning opportunities, in addition to building different lives for themselves and their families. Despite the widespread economic downturn, while numbers of migrant peoples have decreased, migration has not ceased completely. Inherent difficulties for migrant peoples in finding work appropriate to their levels of qualification; work paying a living wage or salary; work for which workers’ contributions are recognized; are manifold, and ongoing developments in immigration policies exacerbate these complexities still further. Societies across the world, whether sending societies, receiving societies or both are being changed by migration and by the changing availability and nature of work and these changes have implications for social work at present and in the future. This chapter focuses on migration and work in the UK and begins with a brief overview of each of the core subjects: migration, work and social work and then the author introduces psycho-social theories, where intra-psychic, interpersonal, social institutions and macro-societal relationships and issues all are considered. She applies these theories to processes and practices in migration and in work, illustrating their relevance to better understandings of both, arguing for more robust and theoretically grounded responses from the social work profession to the inter-linked issues of migration and work; responses which include critical analysis and practice.