Doctoral Dissertation Research: Globalization, Migrant Workers, and the Changing Textile and Clothing Industry

本博士论文研究项目旨在调查日益全球化的纺织品和服装（T C）行业中移民所扮演的角色。该项目将通过考虑中国移民在维持意大利服装业中的作用，有助于更好地理解经济全球化与劳动力迁移以及资本和商品流动之间的复杂相互作用。 意大利以其高档服装品牌在T C行业享有盛誉，并已成为欧洲最大的中国移民接待国，这些技术移民和企业家成为其T C行业的关键。 因此，它提供了一个机会，调查移民在维持一个具有国家重要性的行业方面的作用。 中国移民的涌入带来了纺织和服装行业的重组，因为在当地经营并经常与意大利企业合作的中国企业越来越习惯于“内包”生产，作为将其外包给中国的替代方案。 具体而言，本项目旨在了解中国服装企业在意大利T C生产网络中的地位。特别是，它将确定意大利公司愿意与当地中国公司进行交易，而不是直接外包给中国的主要原因。它还考虑了中国服装企业的竞争力在多大程度上得到了意大利各种民族商业网络以及来自中国的移民工人和面料的支持。研究方法包括调查、访谈和与意大利和中国企业家的参与性绘图练习。这项研究将有助于全球化，移民研究和经济地理学领域。 这项研究将为关于内包的新理论以及关于高成本和高价值地区组装生产可持续性的问题提供信息，这对工业家和政策制定者来说是有意义的。 计划对这项研究进行学术传播和外联介绍。 作为博士论文研究改进奖，该奖项还将提供支持，使有前途的学生建立一个强大的独立的研究生涯。

This doctoral dissertation research project seeks to investigate the role played by migrants in the increasingly globalized textile and clothing (T&C) industry. The project will contribute to a better understanding of the complex interaction between economic globalization and labor migration, as well as flows of capital, and commodities, by considering the role of Chinese migrants in maintaining Italy's clothing industry. Italy is well-regarded in the T&C industry for its brand of fine clothing, and has become the largest host of Chinese immigrants in Europe, where these skilled migrants and entrepreneurs have become key to its T&C industry. It therefore provides an opportunity for the investigation of the role of immigrants in the maintenance of an industry of national importance. The influx of Chinese migrants has brought about a restructuring of the T&C industry as Chinese firms, operating locally and often in collaboration with Italian ones, are increasingly used to "in-source" production as an alternative to out-sourcing it to China. Specifically, this project seeks to understand the positions that Chinese apparel firms occupy in the Italian T&C production network. In particular, it will identify the major reasons why Italian firms are willing to conduct transactions with local Chinese firms, instead of directly outsourcing to China. It also considers the extent to which the competitiveness of Chinese apparel firms is supported by a variety of ethnic business networks in Italy, and by migrant workers and fabrics from China. Methodologies include surveys, interviews, and participatory mapping exercises with entrepreneurs in Italy and in China. This research will contribute to the fields of globalization, migrations studies and economic geography. The research will inform new theories on in-sourcing and questions about the sustainability of assembly production in high-cost and high-value regions, which is of interest to industrialists and policy makers. Academic dissemination and outreach presentations of this research are planned. As a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award, this award also will provide support to enable a promising student to establish a strong independent research career.