Research Catalog

Contract workers, risk, and the war in Iraq : Sierra Leonean labor migrants at US military bases

Title

Contract workers, risk, and the war in Iraq : Sierra Leonean labor migrants at US military bases / Kevin J.A. Thomas.

Author

Thomas, Kevin J. A.

Publication

Montreal ; Kingston ; London ; Chicago : McGill-Queen's University Press, [2017]
©2017

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Request for On-site Use Request Scan Available - Can be used on site. Please visit New York Public Library - Schomburg Center to submit a request in person.	Text	Use in library	Sc E 19-777	Schomburg Center - Research & Reference

Details

Description

viii, 243 pages; 23 cm.

Summary

"In 2003, just before the start of the US invasion of Iraq, military planners predicted that the mission's success would depend on using diverse sources for their workforce. While thousands of US troops were needed to secure victory in the field, large numbers of civilian contractors--many from poor countries in Africa and Asia--were recruited to provide a range of services for the occupying forces. In Contract Workers, Risk, and the War in Iraq Kevin Thomas provides a compelling account of the recruitment of Sierra Leonean workers and their reasons for embracing the risks of migration. In recent years US military bases have outsourced contracts for services to private military corporations who recruit and capitalize on cheaper low-skilled workers. Thomas argues that for people from post-conflict countries such as Sierra Leone, where there are high levels of poverty and acute unemployment, the opportunity to improve their situation outweighs the risk of migration to war-torn Iraq. Examining migrants' experiences in their native country, their time spent at US bases, and after their return to Sierra Leone, Thomas deftly explores the intricate dynamics of risk, sets up a theoretical framework for future researchers, and offers policy recommendations for decision-makers and practitioners in the field. Incorporating the voices of Sierra Leonean contractors who were manipulated and exploited, Contract Workers, Risk, and the War in Iraq turns the spotlight on a subject that has remained on the periphery of history, and reveals an unexpected consequence of the War on Terror."--

Series Statement

Human dimensions in foreign policy, military studies, and security studies ; 5

Uniform Title

Human dimensions in foreign policy, military studies, and security studies ; 5.

Subject

Bibliography (note)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

Risk and the determinants of labor migration -- Social transitions, jobs, and migration in Sierra Leone -- Recruiting workers and preparing for migration -- Supporting the US mission in Iraq -- The downsides of contract work -- Return migration, reintegration, and "blood dollars" -- Making migration work.

Call Number

Sc E 19-777

ISBN

9780773551237
0773551239
9780773551220
0773551220
9780773552159 (epdf) (canceled/invalid)
9780773552166 (epub) (canceled/invalid)

LCCN

2017434722

OCLC

986160805

Author

Thomas, Kevin J. A., author.

Title

Contract workers, risk, and the war in Iraq : Sierra Leonean labor migrants at US military bases / Kevin J.A. Thomas.

Publisher

Montreal ; Kingston ; London ; Chicago : McGill-Queen's University Press, [2017]

Copyright Date

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Series

Human dimensions in foreign policy, military studies, and security studies ; 5

Human dimensions in foreign policy, military studies, and security studies ; 5.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Chronological Term

2003-2011

Other Form:

Thomas, Kevin J. A, author. Contract workers, risk, and the war in Iraq. Human dimensions in foreign policy, military studies, and security studies Human dimensions in foreign policy, military studies, and security studies ; (CaOONL)20179037447

Research Call Number

Sc E 19-777

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