Drawing from ethnographic research conducted in Hong Kong in 2015 and 2016, this talk explores the meaning of new forms of migratory surveillance and their impact on the lives of Southeast Asian migrant workers. Professor Constable shows how particular forms of surveillance—such as the minutia of the new electronic passport system introduced by the Indonesian Consulate in Hong Kong in 2015—are linked to the state’s commitment to modernize, rationalize, and create what James Scott calls “legibility” of its citizens. They also reveal an array of fundamental social tensions and cultural misunderstandings, and illustrate the precarious citizenship, as well as the profound and strategic agency of migrant laborers.
Hosted by: East Asian and Pacific Studies
In conjunction with: Center for Global Studies, College of Law, Department of Anthropology, Department of Geography, Department of History, Department of Sociology, East Asian Languages and Literatures, Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities, School of Labor and Employment Relations, School of Social Work, Spurlock Museum, Women and Gender in Global Perspectives Program
Thanks to the Center for Advanced Study for this information item.
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