This study examines the sociolinguistic and cultural challenges faced by Ghanaian migrant workers in Qatar's Education City. Despite the growing number of studies on migrants and migration in Qatar and the GCC, previous studies have primarily focused on the physical abuse and treatment of these workers, neglecting to recognize migration as a sociocultural phenomenon. This research aims to address this gap by employing Bourdieu's theory of practice as its analytical framework. The study adopts an ethnographic case study approach and utilizes qualitative methodology, including in-depth semi-structured interviews with 9 Ghanaian workers in Education City. Through this methodology, the study identifies three main sets of challenges the workers face: social, linguistic, and economic. These challenges encompass various aspects such as dietary practices, experiences of discrimination, and the homogenization of cultural diversity. While these challenges hinder the social integration of Ghanaian migrants in Education City and Qatar as a whole, the study reveals that the workers employ various coping mechanisms to address them. These individuals exhibit agency through the establishment of kinship ties, adaptation to the dominant linguistic structures, etc. This research contributes to the academic discourse by emphasizing the necessity for enhanced intercultural communication strategies and the development of more inclusive policies within Education City. Such initiatives are critical for fostering the well-being and social integration of migrant workers in increasingly multicultural work environments. The study also contributes theoretically by framing sociolinguistic and cultural challenges within a Bourdieusian framework, revealing habitus adjustments and the accumulation of capitals within migratory fields.

Authors:
Al-Hadar Mumuni, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar

About the Presenter(s)
Al-Hadar Mumuni is a recent master’s graduate and a researcher at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar. He is currently focusing on the sociolinguistic and sociocultural challenges faced by Ghanaian migrant workers in Qatar’s Education City.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/al-hadar-mumuni-97911b9b/

Additional website of interest
https://www.instagram.com/dc.al_hadar/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

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