In the Rhythm of the Global Market: Female Expatriates and Mobile Careers: A Case Study of Indian ICT Professionals on the Move

Abstract

Drawing upon research regarding the complexities of family reunification migration and the migration of highly skilled individuals, this article outlines the experiences in mobility of highly skilled female professionals in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector. In turn, the focus lies on the impact of mobility on family life and how the family influences decision‐making processes regarding transnational career trajectories. In migration studies, little attention has been given to family‐linked migration among the highly skilled. This anthropological research contributes to filling this gap as the experiences and coping strategies of Indian ICT professionals and their accompanying spouses will be studied from their point of view. This article presents narrative biographical data on Indian ICT professionals, their dependants, and dual‐career households, with or without children, who embarked on mobile career paths that led to Belgium. The data have been gathered through participant observation and in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews, and were analysed in terms of exclusion and inclusion in a globalized knowledge economy. By looking at the intersection of female biographies and expatriation, this case study demonstrates the family dynamics in mobility decisions and the multidirectional characteristics of careers offered by the global ICT sector.

Highly skilled migration between the Global North and South: gender, life courses and institutions

“…The dominant image of a skilled migrant is of a male, even in policy discourses where women are seen as co-movers. Kofman (2014), Raghuram (2008) and Roos (2013) caution policymakers from viewing skilled women merely as co-movers and encourage them to give due attention to their skills. Gender norms in countries of origin may act as push factors for skilled women to migrate, but these women may then end up facing other sets of discriminatory norms in host countries due to their migrant background and gender norms (Bagguley and Hussain 2007;Riaño and Baghdadi 2007).…”

‘ Fitting In ’ : Social Cohesion among Skilled Migrant Indian Women and Host Diasporic Communities in South Africa

“…The issue of skilled women migrating has grown in importance in recent decades given the increase in migration globally (Butt 2013;Roos 2013). The wives migrated as co-dependents as their husbands were sent by their companies to work in South Africa for a contract period.…”

“…Roos (2013:147) shows that in highly skilled professions such as engineering and information and communication technology sector, the transnational family is 'a new trend' amongst India's growing middle class. India's liberal migration policy supports the temporary migration of highly skilled workers, giving rise to a growing middle class that is enticed by career-based mobility (Manohar 2013;Mani 2009;Roos 2013). A substantial body of literature has examined the relationship between gender and international migration, yet little attention has been given to the gendered experiences of highly skilled migrant women (Butt 2014;Meares 2010;Raghuram 2004;Yeoh & Willis 2005).…”

“…A further gap in migration studies is the vacuum in research on family-linked migration among the highly skilled (Raghuram 2004;Roos 2013). In addition, skilled migration from India, in the information and communication technology and engineering sectors, is routed particularly to the United States of America (USA) as the preferred choice.…”

Familienmigration bei Hochqualifizierten: wie intergenerationale Beziehungen das Einleben prägen

“…Die wissenschaftliche Auseinandersetzung mit der Migration von Hochqualifizierten im Familienkontext konzentriert sich insbesondere auf Doppelkarrierepaare (KrauseNicolai, 2005;Gramespacher et al, 2010) sowie die berufliche Integration begleitender Partnerinnen und (seltener) Part-ner (Roos, 2013;Braseby, 2010;Purkayastha, 2005). Ebenso gibt es, insbesondere in der Literatur zum internationalen Personalmanagement, umfangreiche Untersuchungen zur Rolle begleitender Partnerinnen für den Erfolg oder Misserfolg internationaler Entsendungen (Gupta et al, 2012;Kupka und Cathro, 2007;kritisch dazu Fechter, 2012).…”