Dr. Elizabeth L. Krause, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, will conduct qualitative research on how families transform and cope in the context of transnational capitalism and immigration. The Province of Prato (Italy) will serve as an ethnographic laboratory for investigating the conditions of globalization. Here, a historic textile district known for its Made in Italy "brand" hosts one of Europe's largest overseas Chinese communities. The research will examine instances where Chinese workers in the textile industry encounter state officials concerning workplace health and safety conditions; the health and well-being of area residents; and the sending of Chinese children back to China to be cared for by relatives. This research will investigate how family arrangements have shifted as a result of economic, political, and social transformations, thereby illuminating the cultural logics and values that emerge from encounters between workers and state institutions.
The project will involve three types of data collection: 1) structured data elicitation, in the form of tasks such as free lists; 2) semi-structured interviews with Chinese parents who work in the textile industry and who have experience sending their children back to China; and 3) unstructured interviews, in the form of naturally occurring speech at public and other social events, as well as participant observation in work and health environments.
Collaboration with a Prato-based research institute will take place at all levels: research design, data collection, data analysis, writing, and policy-making. A training component focuses on developing systematic approaches to qualitative data analysis, and findings will be disseminated through academic and public outlets. Contributions will also be made to an urban diversity management plan in the Province of Prato. The results of the research will deepen understandings of emerging values and increase the possibilities for well-being in the context of globalization and immigration.
