Mobile inequality: Remittances and social network centrality in Cambodian migrant livelihoods

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Abstract

This article uses evidence from Cambodia to explore the role of remittances in replicating rural inequalities in urban areas. In doing so, it uses a mixed methodology, incorporating social network analysis, household surveys and qualitative interviews, to highlight the role of familial remittance commitments in determining urban migrant livelihoods via their influence on both social and financial resources. It argues that those migrants who are compelled to remit a higher proportion of their salaries behave differently in their destination from those who remit less or none, changing jobs more frequently, but failing to build productive social networks or advance in terms of income or conditions. In this way, remittances constitute a key mechanism by which rural inequalities are structurally replicated in the urban space.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)154-181
Number of pages28
JournalMigration Studies
Volume4
Issue number2
Early online date9 Jun 2016
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2016

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