Defying precarity: Iranian diaspora and transnationalism in the making

Pourmehdi, Mansour (2020) Defying precarity: Iranian diaspora and transnationalism in the making. Migration and Development, 9 (1). pp. 25-42. ISSN 2163-2324

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Abstract

We are living among a global transformation in which neoliberal policies have created a precarious existence for various individuals and groups, including migrants around the globe. Precarity as a concept has become progressively widespread for making sense of the insecurities stemming from neoliberal policies, especially, flexible employment, ongoing decrease of welfare protection, and finding market solutions to social problems. Using an ethnographic approach, this paper aims to explore how Iranians in the UK overcome precarity. We found that precarity forces Iranians to confront their situation by considering their specific social experiences. Joining various transnational activities and networks, using transnational communication media, migrants convert their self-awareness into a strategy in order to overcome marginality.