Workshop 7 / GRM 2024
Living Together Separately: social and cultural implications of migration to the GCC countries

Abstract

Much has been written about the phenomenon of migrant labour in the Gulf region, with extensive research on the processes whereby migrant are recruited, the working and living conditions which they experience when they are in the Gulf, the economic impact which they have on the host economies, the effects of labour migration on living standards in exporting countries, the distribution of migrant labour across the countries and regions of the Gulf, their break-down in terms of countries of origin, their housing conditions in host countries, and security concerns stemming from the dependence of Gulf countries on migrant labour. So far, however, there has remained one area of great importance which has only been lightly researched, namely the social and cultural character and dynamics of the migrant communities which have grown up in the Gulf over the past 40-50 years. What kind of social and cultural life do these communities have? To what extent have they witnessed aspects of social and cultural development which are independent of those in their home countries? To what degree are they cohesive, and, if so, what is the basis of that cohesion? How much are they influenced by developments taking place in their home countries? How much influence are they having on the host communities, and how much have the host communities influenced the social and cultural life of the migrant communities? Are there specific forms of musical, literary or cultural production which have developed in these communities, which are distinctive to them? How do the different migrant communities relate to each other in terms of social contact and cultural exchange? Have the languages spoken by migrant communities come to incorporate terms and concepts which have been “borrowed” either from other migrant communities in the region or from the host communities? Which communities could be said to have exerted the greatest cultural and human impact on the host communities? Have the migrant communities remained engaged in the political concerns and contestations of their countries of origin, or have they developed new dimensions of political consciousness?These, then, are the issues at the heart of the proposal which is being put forward and which are intended to form the foci of discussion. The emphasis is on attracting new research, putting the spotlight on dimensions of life in the Gulf which have so far attracted little attention.




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Workshop

Directors


Talmiz

Ahmad

Ram Sathe Chair for International Studies / Former Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE -
Symbiosis International University, Pune



Professor Tim

Niblock

Emeritus Professor of Middle East Politics Middle East Politics
University of Exeter/Tsinghua University


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