Challenges of International Labour Mobility in a National Context. The case of Slovenia

Research project derives from mobility theories (as spatial and social categories), meaningfully linking mobility with anthropology and sociology of work, studies of transnationalism, and the wider socio-economic and cultural contexts of human activity and life. The aim of the project is to systematically and comprehensively investigate the perceptions and experiences of international labour mobility (ILM), using conventional and mobile research approaches in migration studies.

The proposed research is based on:

1) critical views on mobility developed in humanities and social sciences,

2) on empirical cases (cross-border commuters, posted workers, seasonal workers and other hypermobile workers) and

3) application of mobile research methods (participatory methods, multi-sited research, and video documentation).

In this respect the research will deconstruct the politically and scientifically created "myth" about mobility as a ubiquitous positive value, what was especially contested by recent mobility restrictions due to COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the project will explore the often neglected interplay between power relations, policies and economic interests and flows on the one hand, and gender, age, social class, health, nationality and creativity of the individual on the other.

The objectives of the proposed project are the following:

1) The main objective is a credible and data-based knowledge of the international labour mobility between Slovenia and other EU countries, together with the main reasons for mobility, the possibilities and obstacles to mobility, the impact of mobility on an individual's life and work.

2) The specific objectives of the research are:

• to define the ILM within the theory of mobility and justify its specifics;
• position mobility in the focus of scholarly debates in contemporary ethnology in Slovenia;
• to explore the diversity of mobility practices, and define key impact factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic;
• to critically evaluate and thus better understand the (positive) perception of mobility and its institutionalized image in the EU;
• to strengthen innovative research methods in ethnology, with an emphasis mobile participatory methods;
• to understand the social, economic, cultural and political phenomena linked to mobility.

The project will last 3 years and has 3 research perspectives:

1) Subjective perspective of the individual (mobile workers from Slovenia in other EU Member States and foreign workers in Slovenia) - their perceptions of mobility, mobility’s effects on work-life balance, impact of mobility on everyday life, constructed transnational links and networks;

which we will achieve by: - developing three case studies comprising three groups of workers:

a) cross-border commuters (daily, weekly, monthly),

b) posted workers (to and from Slovenia),

c) seasonal workers and other hyper-mobile workers.

We will analyse data collected in the field and review the literature on labour mobility. In the three defined case studies, the geographical focus will be mainly on Slovenian border regions.

2) Institutional and policy perspective - research into institutional structure and capacity, whereby the institutional capacities will be identified on national and EU levels, and analysis of mobility and employment policies in Slovenia and at EU level;

3) Socio-demographic and economic perspective - to assess the number of mobile individuals moving between EU and Slovenia, to define the socio-demographic profile of mobile workers in Slovenia, to determine in which sectors they work and in what way, the nature of employment and work.