We propose a framework for citizen social science that brings together three reinforcing elements... more We propose a framework for citizen social science that brings together three reinforcing elements of a research project – scale, citizen-leadership, and publicness – to improve qualitative research. Our framework was born out of necessity; a desire to involve ordinary citizens, in researching public issues, with limited funding. We illustrate the application of our framework using insights from research we have led, involving first, a series of qualitative studies of state and civil society organizations working on community engagement by three separate years of public policy students; and second, a qualitative study on the system for processing salary and injury disputes for low-waged migrant workers in Singapore conducted by over 100 volunteers and activists. Drawing on a review of the literature and our own experiences, we speak to the advantages and trade-offs of adopting this approach and suggest practical methods for conducting citizen social science.
Migrants and refugees face challenges accessing both healthcare and good social determinants of h... more Migrants and refugees face challenges accessing both healthcare and good social determinants of health in Malaysia. Participants at the "Migrant and Refugee Health in Malaysia workshop, Kuala Lumpur, 9-10 November 2017" scoped these challenges within the regional ASEAN context, identifying gaps in knowledge and practical steps forward to improve the evidence base in the Malaysia.
Page 1. Political power and political divisions within Australian and New Zealand businessNichola... more Page 1. Political power and political divisions within Australian and New Zealand businessNicholas Harrigan PhD Student Political Science Program Research School of the Social Sciences Australian National University Visiting Student ...
... behaviour ESRC award ref. RES-000-22-0872 Report prepared by: Matthew Bond, Siana Glouharova ... more ... behaviour ESRC award ref. RES-000-22-0872 Report prepared by: Matthew Bond, Siana Glouharova and Nicholas Harrigan Address for correspondence Dr Matthew Bond Department of Sociology University of Oxford Manor Road Oxford OX1 3UQ Page 2. Introduction ...
Social network analysis (SNA) is (1) a method for analysing the volume and patterns of social rel... more Social network analysis (SNA) is (1) a method for analysing the volume and patterns of social relations linking individual actors to each other and (2) a way of theorising social structure and its effects on behaviour. The analysis of corporate political activity, on the ...
The institutionalisation and mediation of class conflict in Australia is conventionally understoo... more The institutionalisation and mediation of class conflict in Australia is conventionally understood to have been established in the first decade of the 20th Century, with the enactment of 'New Protection'. This 'Australian Settlement' provided tariffs to protect and compensate capital, ...
The methods used in this paper and in the PhD are based on what Domhoff calls 'power structu... more The methods used in this paper and in the PhD are based on what Domhoff calls 'power structure research'. A power structure is the network (or networks) of people and institutions that exercises power within a city or nation (Domhoff 2006: 224). Power structure research utilises one ...
It has been reported by Singaporean NGOs and newspapers that Bangladeshi temporary migrants
worki... more It has been reported by Singaporean NGOs and newspapers that Bangladeshi temporary migrants working as cleaners in Housing Development Board (HDB) residential estates face some of the greatest difficulties – with respect to their working and living conditions – amongst Singapore’s nearly one million temporary migrant workers. Our paper presents the findings of a qualitative study of the working and living conditions of Bangladeshi HDB cleaners, based on semi-structured interviews with 11 of these workers. Our study asked two research questions: first, what are the most pressing problems faced by these workers, and, second, what factors give rise to these problems? We find that the most pressing problems faced by these Bangladeshi HDB cleaners are: high recruitment fees and renewal fees, problems with their work contract, low income, heavy workload and long working hours, the lack of leave days, overcrowded accommodations, and unsanitary living conditions. Interviews suggest that the major factors that give rise to these problems are: employer sponsorship of visas and threat of deportation, worker levy and salary deductions, vulnerabilities in home country, and the lack of a mandated minimum living wage. As Singapore continues to employ migrant workers to contribute to the country’s economy and society, the findings of this study point to serious mistreatment of a sub-population of temporary migrant workers. The findings suggests the need for better enforcement of labour laws and structural reforms to reduce migrant workers vulnerability, such as ending employer sponsorship of visas.
We propose a framework for citizen social science that brings together three reinforcing elements... more We propose a framework for citizen social science that brings together three reinforcing elements of a research project – scale, citizen-leadership, and publicness – to improve qualitative research. Our framework was born out of necessity; a desire to involve ordinary citizens, in researching public issues, with limited funding. We illustrate the application of our framework using insights from research we have led, involving first, a series of qualitative studies of state and civil society organizations working on community engagement by three separate years of public policy students; and second, a qualitative study on the system for processing salary and injury disputes for low-waged migrant workers in Singapore conducted by over 100 volunteers and activists. Drawing on a review of the literature and our own experiences, we speak to the advantages and trade-offs of adopting this approach and suggest practical methods for conducting citizen social science.
Migrants and refugees face challenges accessing both healthcare and good social determinants of h... more Migrants and refugees face challenges accessing both healthcare and good social determinants of health in Malaysia. Participants at the "Migrant and Refugee Health in Malaysia workshop, Kuala Lumpur, 9-10 November 2017" scoped these challenges within the regional ASEAN context, identifying gaps in knowledge and practical steps forward to improve the evidence base in the Malaysia.
Page 1. Political power and political divisions within Australian and New Zealand businessNichola... more Page 1. Political power and political divisions within Australian and New Zealand businessNicholas Harrigan PhD Student Political Science Program Research School of the Social Sciences Australian National University Visiting Student ...
... behaviour ESRC award ref. RES-000-22-0872 Report prepared by: Matthew Bond, Siana Glouharova ... more ... behaviour ESRC award ref. RES-000-22-0872 Report prepared by: Matthew Bond, Siana Glouharova and Nicholas Harrigan Address for correspondence Dr Matthew Bond Department of Sociology University of Oxford Manor Road Oxford OX1 3UQ Page 2. Introduction ...
Social network analysis (SNA) is (1) a method for analysing the volume and patterns of social rel... more Social network analysis (SNA) is (1) a method for analysing the volume and patterns of social relations linking individual actors to each other and (2) a way of theorising social structure and its effects on behaviour. The analysis of corporate political activity, on the ...
The institutionalisation and mediation of class conflict in Australia is conventionally understoo... more The institutionalisation and mediation of class conflict in Australia is conventionally understood to have been established in the first decade of the 20th Century, with the enactment of 'New Protection'. This 'Australian Settlement' provided tariffs to protect and compensate capital, ...
The methods used in this paper and in the PhD are based on what Domhoff calls 'power structu... more The methods used in this paper and in the PhD are based on what Domhoff calls 'power structure research'. A power structure is the network (or networks) of people and institutions that exercises power within a city or nation (Domhoff 2006: 224). Power structure research utilises one ...
It has been reported by Singaporean NGOs and newspapers that Bangladeshi temporary migrants
worki... more It has been reported by Singaporean NGOs and newspapers that Bangladeshi temporary migrants working as cleaners in Housing Development Board (HDB) residential estates face some of the greatest difficulties – with respect to their working and living conditions – amongst Singapore’s nearly one million temporary migrant workers. Our paper presents the findings of a qualitative study of the working and living conditions of Bangladeshi HDB cleaners, based on semi-structured interviews with 11 of these workers. Our study asked two research questions: first, what are the most pressing problems faced by these workers, and, second, what factors give rise to these problems? We find that the most pressing problems faced by these Bangladeshi HDB cleaners are: high recruitment fees and renewal fees, problems with their work contract, low income, heavy workload and long working hours, the lack of leave days, overcrowded accommodations, and unsanitary living conditions. Interviews suggest that the major factors that give rise to these problems are: employer sponsorship of visas and threat of deportation, worker levy and salary deductions, vulnerabilities in home country, and the lack of a mandated minimum living wage. As Singapore continues to employ migrant workers to contribute to the country’s economy and society, the findings of this study point to serious mistreatment of a sub-population of temporary migrant workers. The findings suggests the need for better enforcement of labour laws and structural reforms to reduce migrant workers vulnerability, such as ending employer sponsorship of visas.
Presentation given at Work and Migration: National and International Perspectives, Faculty of Art... more Presentation given at Work and Migration: National and International Perspectives, Faculty of Arts Workshop, Macquarie University, 4-5 April
Presentation given at International Sunbelt Social Network Conference, Newport Beach, California,... more Presentation given at International Sunbelt Social Network Conference, Newport Beach, California, 5-10 April
Presentation given at International Sunbelt Social Network Conference, Newport Beach, California,... more Presentation given at International Sunbelt Social Network Conference, Newport Beach, California, 5-10 April
Presentation at the Centre for Teaching Excellence in Singapore Management University in November... more Presentation at the Centre for Teaching Excellence in Singapore Management University in November 2011
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working as cleaners in Housing Development Board (HDB) residential estates face some of the greatest
difficulties – with respect to their working and living conditions – amongst Singapore’s nearly one million
temporary migrant workers. Our paper presents the findings of a qualitative study of the working and
living conditions of Bangladeshi HDB cleaners, based on semi-structured interviews with 11 of these
workers. Our study asked two research questions: first, what are the most pressing problems faced by
these workers, and, second, what factors give rise to these problems? We find that the most pressing
problems faced by these Bangladeshi HDB cleaners are: high recruitment fees and renewal fees, problems
with their work contract, low income, heavy workload and long working hours, the lack of leave days,
overcrowded accommodations, and unsanitary living conditions. Interviews suggest that the major factors
that give rise to these problems are: employer sponsorship of visas and threat of deportation, worker levy
and salary deductions, vulnerabilities in home country, and the lack of a mandated minimum living wage.
As Singapore continues to employ migrant workers to contribute to the country’s economy and society,
the findings of this study point to serious mistreatment of a sub-population of temporary migrant
workers. The findings suggests the need for better enforcement of labour laws and structural reforms to
reduce migrant workers vulnerability, such as ending employer sponsorship of visas.
working as cleaners in Housing Development Board (HDB) residential estates face some of the greatest
difficulties – with respect to their working and living conditions – amongst Singapore’s nearly one million
temporary migrant workers. Our paper presents the findings of a qualitative study of the working and
living conditions of Bangladeshi HDB cleaners, based on semi-structured interviews with 11 of these
workers. Our study asked two research questions: first, what are the most pressing problems faced by
these workers, and, second, what factors give rise to these problems? We find that the most pressing
problems faced by these Bangladeshi HDB cleaners are: high recruitment fees and renewal fees, problems
with their work contract, low income, heavy workload and long working hours, the lack of leave days,
overcrowded accommodations, and unsanitary living conditions. Interviews suggest that the major factors
that give rise to these problems are: employer sponsorship of visas and threat of deportation, worker levy
and salary deductions, vulnerabilities in home country, and the lack of a mandated minimum living wage.
As Singapore continues to employ migrant workers to contribute to the country’s economy and society,
the findings of this study point to serious mistreatment of a sub-population of temporary migrant
workers. The findings suggests the need for better enforcement of labour laws and structural reforms to
reduce migrant workers vulnerability, such as ending employer sponsorship of visas.