Mgr. Martina Wilsch, PhD. works as a researcher at the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Her research focuses on migration, care, transnationalism, transnational families, and migrant integration in society. As a researcher, she collaborated on many research projects at the national and international levels on the research projects related to women's rights, migration, integration, and gender. She has been long-term cooperating with the Migration Policy Group in Brussels (as national coordinator and member of the editorial board of the European website on integration, MIPEX research). She is the author and co-author of several publications and papers.
Female-dominated migration flows are suspected to create “care drain”—care shortages in the sourc... more Female-dominated migration flows are suspected to create “care drain”—care shortages in the source country at the expense of care provided in the destination country. We ask if care drain experienced in the families of the care workers in Slovakia or transnational partnering leads to lower job satisfaction. While carers with small children are a minority, most care workers live with a partner. None of these groups, however, provide a consistently lower level of the generally very high job satisfaction. The lack of connection between satisfaction and family situation poses a question as to whether the situation of European migrant care workers is comparable to experiences of care workers from the Global South on which the concept of care drain was developed.
Abstract: The article deals with female inbound migration to Slovakia and examines importance of ... more Abstract: The article deals with female inbound migration to Slovakia and examines importance of gender and family within migration process. Besides the quantitative overview of overall female migration flows, article presents migration histories of females from the third countries based on qualitative research. Although gender plays an important role in shaping female’s ex-perience in migration, the gender approach itself does not explain complexity of the process. Article discusses intersectional theory as a suitable concept for explaining different positioning of female migrants within society. It argues that in order to gain full un-derstanding of migrant position in Slovak society it is necessary to analyse interactions between and simultaneous effects of different social categories. Socially constructed categories, through their interactions on multiple levels, contribute to social inequality and vulnerability of female migrants.
This chapter departs from the assertion that research on migrant care workers notably sidesteps a... more This chapter departs from the assertion that research on migrant care workers notably sidesteps a more systematic analysis of the importance of economic considerations, typically important in labor migration study. From this perspective, the notion of migration of care workers to Austria as a result of Austrian cash-for-care payments (Pflegegeld), legalization, and immigration policies is challenged. We demonstrate that the 2009 crisis-related unemployment increase is a better explanation for the observed growth in the number of carers from Slovakia than the Austrian legalization policies that occurred at the same time. Moreover, it will be demonstrated that the regional unemployment situation in Slovakia is also a good predictor of the income of carers in Austria. This underscores the importance of the economic rationales.
This chapter analyzes the career paths of care workers after leaving care work. The live-in 24-ho... more This chapter analyzes the career paths of care workers after leaving care work. The live-in 24-hour personal home care work represents a typical example of a secondary labor market—a low-prestige job with limited career prospects. We find that retirement was the exit strategy for less than a third of the 24-hour personal home care workers. More than half of the care workers found employment after their return to Slovakia. However, well in line with the dual labor market theory, long exposure to care work in Austria is not helpful for career prospects back home. Carers spending five and more years in Austria have a higher risk of working in a less prestigious job than the one they used to have before they left.
This chapter introduces the case of circular migration of care workers from Slovakia to Austria. ... more This chapter introduces the case of circular migration of care workers from Slovakia to Austria. It provides a historical overview of the welfare and migration policy settings that have shaped this migration flow since the opening of borders between Austria and its post-communist neighbors—the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia in 1989. Chronically high unemployment is identified as an explanation for the dominant position of Slovak care workers. The reliability of data on care workers from Austrian sources and from the Slovak Labor Force Survey is discussed. Quantitative research data comprising two studies conducted in 2011 and 2016 on a sample of active and inactive (in 2016) female carers from Slovakia are presented together with two periods of qualitative fieldwork in 2011 and 2017.
A summary of the two main insights of the presented approach to the topic of circular migration o... more A summary of the two main insights of the presented approach to the topic of circular migration of care workers from Central and Eastern Europe to Austria concludes the book. Seeing care workers as labor migrants can explain the dynamics of live-in care provision in Austria, while insights from dual labor market theory explain particular features of live-in care work. After abandoning the care drain perspective, it is migration that turns employment in a demanding and low-paid job into an experience of job satisfaction and life success. Future of cross-border care provision within Europe is being discussed in a situation of diminishing income differences, suggesting it is only a matter of time when migrant care provision will predominantly come from outside the EU.
The article deals with female inbound migration to Slovakia and examines importance of gender and... more The article deals with female inbound migration to Slovakia and examines importance of gender and family within migration process. Besides the quantitative overview of overall female migration flows, article presents migration histories of females from the third countries based on qualitative research. Although gender plays an important role in shaping female's ex- perience in migration, the gender approach itself does
Extensive numbers of Slovak caregivers are compensating for a lack in long-term care capacities i... more Extensive numbers of Slovak caregivers are compensating for a lack in long-term care capacities in Austria. Circular cross-border commuting is a life strategy for many of them. This chapter focuses on the long-term effects of the migration from Slovakia directed toward 24-hour personal home care for seniors and dependent persons in Austria. The analysis uses research data collected in two fieldwork rounds within a period of seven years. We explore how these care workers’ life projects are impacted by mutual interconnections between gender, age, and temporal circularity. Their personal biographies reflect the diverse ways in which care migration challenges their finances, health, social life, and gender across life-cycle stages.
The article concentrates on transnational care-giving practises of Slovak women providing home el... more The article concentrates on transnational care-giving practises of Slovak women providing home elder care in Austria related to production and consumption in their families in Slovakia. The article focuses on how trans- border migration influences care-giving, organisation of the household and family practises in domestic workers' families in Slovakia. My argument is that in order to understand deeper contexts and consequences of transnational migration of domestic workers in private households we must consider gender as a complex multi-dimensional category. The emphasis of the article is put on how women reflect and manifest their gender identity and how "ways of doing family" are gendered in transnational families of Slovak elder care providers. Theoretical starting points for analysis are a transnational approach and gender perspective.
In the spring 2020, measures introduced across Europe to limit the spread of COVID-19 included, a... more In the spring 2020, measures introduced across Europe to limit the spread of COVID-19 included, among others, the temporary closure of borders. For Romanian and Slovakian live-in carers, this meant...
In the last two decades, care deficits in Western Europe have been fuelled by demographic and soc... more In the last two decades, care deficits in Western Europe have been fuelled by demographic and social transformations, such as population ageing, changes in household structures, welfare programme reforms and an altogether lesser involvement of the state in care provision. These care deficits, particularly in high-income countries, have been addressed through migrant labour which, in turn, contributes to increasing care needs in the migrants’ sending countries. Through the example of Romanian and Slovak caregivers working in 2- and 4-week shifts in Austria, this chapter explores the linkages between care workers’ strategies to address the care deficits in their families, the features of relevant welfare provisions in their respective countries of origin and the workers’ mobility patterns. The chapter argues that existing (limited) care needs in their respective families allow carers to engage in transnational work, while extensive care needs at home are a hindrance for working abroad...
Female-dominated migration flows are suspected to create “care drain”—care shortages in the sourc... more Female-dominated migration flows are suspected to create “care drain”—care shortages in the source country at the expense of care provided in the destination country. We ask if care drain experienced in the families of the care workers in Slovakia or transnational partnering leads to lower job satisfaction. While carers with small children are a minority, most care workers live with a partner. None of these groups, however, provide a consistently lower level of the generally very high job satisfaction. The lack of connection between satisfaction and family situation poses a question as to whether the situation of European migrant care workers is comparable to experiences of care workers from the Global South on which the concept of care drain was developed.
Abstract: The article deals with female inbound migration to Slovakia and examines importance of ... more Abstract: The article deals with female inbound migration to Slovakia and examines importance of gender and family within migration process. Besides the quantitative overview of overall female migration flows, article presents migration histories of females from the third countries based on qualitative research. Although gender plays an important role in shaping female’s ex-perience in migration, the gender approach itself does not explain complexity of the process. Article discusses intersectional theory as a suitable concept for explaining different positioning of female migrants within society. It argues that in order to gain full un-derstanding of migrant position in Slovak society it is necessary to analyse interactions between and simultaneous effects of different social categories. Socially constructed categories, through their interactions on multiple levels, contribute to social inequality and vulnerability of female migrants.
This chapter departs from the assertion that research on migrant care workers notably sidesteps a... more This chapter departs from the assertion that research on migrant care workers notably sidesteps a more systematic analysis of the importance of economic considerations, typically important in labor migration study. From this perspective, the notion of migration of care workers to Austria as a result of Austrian cash-for-care payments (Pflegegeld), legalization, and immigration policies is challenged. We demonstrate that the 2009 crisis-related unemployment increase is a better explanation for the observed growth in the number of carers from Slovakia than the Austrian legalization policies that occurred at the same time. Moreover, it will be demonstrated that the regional unemployment situation in Slovakia is also a good predictor of the income of carers in Austria. This underscores the importance of the economic rationales.
This chapter analyzes the career paths of care workers after leaving care work. The live-in 24-ho... more This chapter analyzes the career paths of care workers after leaving care work. The live-in 24-hour personal home care work represents a typical example of a secondary labor market—a low-prestige job with limited career prospects. We find that retirement was the exit strategy for less than a third of the 24-hour personal home care workers. More than half of the care workers found employment after their return to Slovakia. However, well in line with the dual labor market theory, long exposure to care work in Austria is not helpful for career prospects back home. Carers spending five and more years in Austria have a higher risk of working in a less prestigious job than the one they used to have before they left.
This chapter introduces the case of circular migration of care workers from Slovakia to Austria. ... more This chapter introduces the case of circular migration of care workers from Slovakia to Austria. It provides a historical overview of the welfare and migration policy settings that have shaped this migration flow since the opening of borders between Austria and its post-communist neighbors—the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia in 1989. Chronically high unemployment is identified as an explanation for the dominant position of Slovak care workers. The reliability of data on care workers from Austrian sources and from the Slovak Labor Force Survey is discussed. Quantitative research data comprising two studies conducted in 2011 and 2016 on a sample of active and inactive (in 2016) female carers from Slovakia are presented together with two periods of qualitative fieldwork in 2011 and 2017.
A summary of the two main insights of the presented approach to the topic of circular migration o... more A summary of the two main insights of the presented approach to the topic of circular migration of care workers from Central and Eastern Europe to Austria concludes the book. Seeing care workers as labor migrants can explain the dynamics of live-in care provision in Austria, while insights from dual labor market theory explain particular features of live-in care work. After abandoning the care drain perspective, it is migration that turns employment in a demanding and low-paid job into an experience of job satisfaction and life success. Future of cross-border care provision within Europe is being discussed in a situation of diminishing income differences, suggesting it is only a matter of time when migrant care provision will predominantly come from outside the EU.
The article deals with female inbound migration to Slovakia and examines importance of gender and... more The article deals with female inbound migration to Slovakia and examines importance of gender and family within migration process. Besides the quantitative overview of overall female migration flows, article presents migration histories of females from the third countries based on qualitative research. Although gender plays an important role in shaping female's ex- perience in migration, the gender approach itself does
Extensive numbers of Slovak caregivers are compensating for a lack in long-term care capacities i... more Extensive numbers of Slovak caregivers are compensating for a lack in long-term care capacities in Austria. Circular cross-border commuting is a life strategy for many of them. This chapter focuses on the long-term effects of the migration from Slovakia directed toward 24-hour personal home care for seniors and dependent persons in Austria. The analysis uses research data collected in two fieldwork rounds within a period of seven years. We explore how these care workers’ life projects are impacted by mutual interconnections between gender, age, and temporal circularity. Their personal biographies reflect the diverse ways in which care migration challenges their finances, health, social life, and gender across life-cycle stages.
The article concentrates on transnational care-giving practises of Slovak women providing home el... more The article concentrates on transnational care-giving practises of Slovak women providing home elder care in Austria related to production and consumption in their families in Slovakia. The article focuses on how trans- border migration influences care-giving, organisation of the household and family practises in domestic workers' families in Slovakia. My argument is that in order to understand deeper contexts and consequences of transnational migration of domestic workers in private households we must consider gender as a complex multi-dimensional category. The emphasis of the article is put on how women reflect and manifest their gender identity and how "ways of doing family" are gendered in transnational families of Slovak elder care providers. Theoretical starting points for analysis are a transnational approach and gender perspective.
In the spring 2020, measures introduced across Europe to limit the spread of COVID-19 included, a... more In the spring 2020, measures introduced across Europe to limit the spread of COVID-19 included, among others, the temporary closure of borders. For Romanian and Slovakian live-in carers, this meant...
In the last two decades, care deficits in Western Europe have been fuelled by demographic and soc... more In the last two decades, care deficits in Western Europe have been fuelled by demographic and social transformations, such as population ageing, changes in household structures, welfare programme reforms and an altogether lesser involvement of the state in care provision. These care deficits, particularly in high-income countries, have been addressed through migrant labour which, in turn, contributes to increasing care needs in the migrants’ sending countries. Through the example of Romanian and Slovak caregivers working in 2- and 4-week shifts in Austria, this chapter explores the linkages between care workers’ strategies to address the care deficits in their families, the features of relevant welfare provisions in their respective countries of origin and the workers’ mobility patterns. The chapter argues that existing (limited) care needs in their respective families allow carers to engage in transnational work, while extensive care needs at home are a hindrance for working abroad...
Migration to and from Welfare States. IMISCOE, 2021
This chapter explores the re-organisation of care within families – caused by care workers’ mobil... more This chapter explores the re-organisation of care within families – caused by care workers’ mobility – in the sending countries. It argues that what can be called a ‘familialistic’ orientation of relevant welfare policies in sending countries has an infuence on labour mobility patterns. Through the case study of Romanian and Slovak live-in caregivers working in 2- or 4-week shifts in Austria, the chapter analyses the linkages between care workers’ strategies for addressing the care defcits of their families living back home, the defciencies of related public policies in their respective countries of origin and the care workers’ mobility patterns. It argues that, when it comes to the relationship between mobility and care needs, there seems to be a ‘tipping point’ in the needs of care workers’ families which makes care workers decide to permanently return to their countries of origin in order to care for their family members. As care defcits in migrants’ families emerge mainly in relation to children and elderly family members, we focus here specifcally on childcare and care for the elderly. The remainder of this chapter unfolds as follows. First, contextual information is provided on care-work mobility, as well as on current public policies in the areas of childcare and elderly care in Romania and Slovakia. Second, the chapter’s conceptual framework is laid out and the methodology employed briefy described. Third, the main body of the chapter addresses family care re-organisation due to care mobility, the effects of the family’s care defcits and of welfare provisions of care on mobility and care re-organisation in families with a mobile carer. Finally, the last section draws the main conclusions and summarises the contribution’s central argument.
Vychádzajúc z potreby zhrnúť rozmanité súvislosti témy migrácie na Slovensku do podoby kompaktnéh... more Vychádzajúc z potreby zhrnúť rozmanité súvislosti témy migrácie na Slovensku do podoby kompaktného analytického celku a upriamiť pozornosť verejnosti na jej jednotlivé dimenzie a kontexty, Inštitút pre verejné otázky a regionálna kancelária Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung v Prahe vydali knižnú publikáciu, prostredníctvom ktorej umožňujú čitateľom pozrieť sa na súčasný pohyb cez hranice – v Európe a v jej okolí – z rozličných uhlov pohľadu: cez čísla, štatistiky a realizované verejné politiky, cez širší kontext migrácie v Európe a na Slovensku, cez rodovú optiku, integračnú politiku, vnútropolitické aspekty a obraz migrácie v slovenských médiách. Publikácia je editovaná Miroslavou Hlinčíkovou a Grigorijom Mesežnikovom a obsahuje štúdie od autorov: Zuzany Bargerovej, Vladimíra Baláža - Kataríny Karasovej, Eleny Gallovej Kriglerovej, Martiny Sekulovej, Aleny H. Chudžíkovej a Grigorija Mesežnikova.
Miroslava Hlinčíková a Martina Sekulová v publikácii analyzujú integráciu ľudí s medzinárodnou oc... more Miroslava Hlinčíková a Martina Sekulová v publikácii analyzujú integráciu ľudí s medzinárodnou ochranou v kontexte integračných programov vytvorených štátom, ktoré sú určené na podporu procesu začleňovania tejto skupiny do spoločnosti. V deviatich kapitolách pozorne sledujú reflexie verejných inštitúcií, mimovládneho sektora a utečencov a na ich základe formulujú odporúčania pre každú z oblastí integrácie. Snažia sa tak odpovedať na otázku, ako by sa dal integračný program nastaviť tak, aby mal na každodenný život a integráciu utečencov čo najpozitívnejší vplyv a aby dorovnal ich často ťažké začiatky na Slovensku. Kniha súčasne obsahuje štyri autorské texty spisovateľov a spisovateliek Jany Beňovej, Michala Hvoreckého, Zusky Kepplovej a Mareka Vadasa. Prostredníctvom nich sa čitateľ ľahšie vcíti do situácie a života ľudí s medzinárodnou ochranou na Slovensku.
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Papers by Martina Wilsch
that, when it comes to the relationship between mobility and care needs, there seems to be a ‘tipping point’ in the needs of care workers’ families which makes care workers decide to permanently return to their countries of origin in order to care for their family members. As care defcits in migrants’ families emerge mainly in relation to children and elderly family members, we focus here specifcally on childcare and care for the elderly. The remainder of this chapter unfolds as follows. First, contextual information is provided on care-work mobility, as well as on current
public policies in the areas of childcare and elderly care in Romania and Slovakia. Second, the chapter’s conceptual framework is laid out and the methodology employed briefy described. Third, the main body of the chapter addresses family care re-organisation due to care mobility, the effects of the family’s care defcits and of welfare provisions of care on mobility and care re-organisation in families with a mobile carer. Finally, the last section draws the main conclusions and summarises the contribution’s central argument.
Kniha súčasne obsahuje štyri autorské texty spisovateľov a spisovateliek Jany Beňovej, Michala Hvoreckého, Zusky Kepplovej a Mareka Vadasa. Prostredníctvom nich sa čitateľ ľahšie vcíti do situácie a života ľudí s medzinárodnou ochranou na Slovensku.