Between two worlds: everyday life of Basotho labour migrants in Bloemfontein, South Africa
| dc.contributor.advisor | Coetzee, Jan | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Kelly, Melissa | |
| dc.contributor.author | Moletsane, ‘Malilimala Elizabeth | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2016-11-24T11:55:51Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2016-11-24T11:55:51Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2016-02 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: The concept of people’s migration has been studied extensively in the academic realm. The reasons why people migrate, the use of remittances in sending countries and the impact of migration on the migrants’ families are some of the topics addressed by academic research. However, the migrants’ experiences of belonging have not received much attention, especially in South Africa. This study adds to the migration literature by exploring the everyday lives of Basotho labour migrants in Bloemfontein, South Africa. It is unique insofar as it focuses on how the migrants make circular moves across the South Africa-Lesotho border, and whether they experience a sense of belonging in this process. The design is mainly a narrative inquiry, which is informed by the interpretive paradigm on which the study is grounded. For the purposes of the research, phenomenology, existential sociology and reflexive sociology are the theoretical lenses used within the interpretive paradigm. The study assumes a qualitative approach. It is based on a purposive sample of nine Basotho migrants – five men and four women. They all work in the informal sector in Bloemfontein and lack work permits. Their narratives of belonging are elicited through the use of semi-structured in-depth interviews. The interviews are guided by an interview schedule, which is formulated along the lines of the study’s research questions, as well as of the concepts from the study’s theoretical context and the review of existing literature on migration and on belonging. The data are analysed thematically. The findings point to the fact that the migrants do not experience high levels of belonging to Bloemfontein. They live largely marginalised and insecure lives and believe that they are often excluded from the wider Bloemfontein community. Much of their lives in Bloemfontein revolve around their work. They spend most of their time at work, and they visit Lesotho whenever their working situation allows. As a result, they do not have any meaningful and deep-seated relations with their neighbours and the communities in which they live. This shows that they lack a sense of community in Bloemfontein. In turn, it indicates that they do not experience a true sense of belonging in as far as group membership (in terms of the politics of belonging) is concerned. Consequently, they continue to maintain close ties with Lesotho in all ways possible. For instance, they communicate regularly with their families and friends back in Lesotho, they visit Lesotho monthly, they transfer most of their earnings back to Lesotho and they relate most of their situations in Bloemfontein back to Lesotho. Their emotional attachment lies overwhelmingly with people, places and things in Lesotho. Thus they do not strongly feel at home in Bloemfontein. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Menslike migrasie is ‘n bekende navorsingsveld binne die akademie. Die redes waarom mense migreer, die gebruik van finansiele bydras in tuislande, die impak van migrasie op migrante se families is ‘n paar van die onderwerpe wat al deur akademiese navorsing aangespreek is. Migrante se sin van van behoort is egter ‘n navorsingsgebied wat nog nie baie aandag geniet nie, veral hier in Suid-Afrika. Hierdie studie lewer ‘n bydra tot die bestaande literatuur/kennis oor migrasie deurdat dit alledaagse lewens van Basotho migrante in Bloemfontein (Suid-Afrika) verken. Dit is uniek is die sin dat fokus op hoe migrante heen-en-weer oor die Suid-Afrika Lesotho grens beweeg, en of hierdie proses ‘n sin van behoort by hulle kweek. Die ontwerp is hoofsaaklik ‘n narratiewe studie, wat deur die interpretatiwe paradigma gerig word. Vir die doel van die navorsing, word fenomenologie, eksistensiële- en refleksiewe sosiologie as teoretiese lense ingespan om die onderwerp te verken. Die studie volg ‘n kwalitatiewe benadering wat gebruik maak van ‘n doelbewuste steekproef van nege Basotho migrante (vyf mans en vier vrouens). Al die deelnemers werk in die informele sektor in Bloemfontein en het nie werkspermitte nie. Hulle narratiewe aangaande “behoort” is ingesamel/gedokumenteer deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde en in-indiepte onderhoude. ‘n Onderhouds-skedule, wat in lyn met die navorsingsvrae, relevante konsepte, teoreretiese konteks en bestaande literatuur oor migrasie en ‘n sin van behoort geformuleer is, is tydens die onderhoude gebruik. Die data is tematies geanaliseer. Die bevindings dui aan dat die migrante nie ‘n hoe vlak van “behoort” in Bloemfontein ervaar. Hulle rapporteer dat hulle lewens een van maginaliteit en onsekerheid is en dat dat hulle dikwels uitgesluit word van die breër Bloemfonteinse gemeenskap. Hulle lewens draai hoofsaaklik om hulle werk, dit is ook waar hulle die meeste van hulle tyd deurbring. Die migrante keer terug na Lesotho wanneer hulle werksomstandighede dit toelaat. As gevolg hiervan ontwikkel hulle nie betekenisvolle en diepgaande verhoudings met bure en die gemeenskappe waarbinne hulle woon. Dit dui aan dat hulle nie ‘n sin van gemeenskap in Bloemfontein beleef nie. Dit dui aandat die migrante nie ‘n ware sin van behoort ervaar in terme van groepdeelname/lidmaatskap (in terme van die “politiek van behoort”). As gevolg hiervan, behou hulle sterk bande met Lesotho in alle moontlik opsigte. Die migrante kommunikeer dikwels met hulle families en vriende in Lesotho, gaan kuier maandelikes in Lesotho, stuur die meeste van hulle geld terug na Lesotho en verbind die meeste van hulle alledaagse ervarings (in Bloemfontein) met Lesotho. Hulle emosionele verbintenis is aan die mense, plekke en dinge van Lesotho. Hulle voel nie tuis in Bloemfontein. | af |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/4807 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Dissertation (M.A. (Sociology))--University of the Free State, 2014 | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Migration | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Social networks | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Survival strategies | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Transnational ties | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Sense of belonging | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Group membership | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Between two worlds: everyday life of Basotho labour migrants in Bloemfontein, South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Dissertation | en_ZA |