Upward Mobility and Class Inequities among Filipino Migrant Nurses in the Republic of Ireland

Abstract

Using Bourdieusian class analysis, this mixed-methods study examines the nuances in the upward mobility of Filipino nurse migrants in the Republic of Ireland as they move from the Philippines to Ireland. The article illustrates how the transnational connections of nurses create cleavages among them as a micro-class category in the host state and argues how the social class position of the family continues to impact on the class conditions of migrants – especially those from lower income backgrounds. In contrast, the financial independence of higher income families leads to better life chances for nurses allowing them to invest in additional economic capital, pursue personal projects and improve their symbolic capital. This can be described as the social reproduction of inequality on a transnational scale, which has repercussions on the present and future class conditions of migrants. The article contributes to discussions on class conditions and mobility from a transnational frame.