notes from Between Social Change & Nationalism

Here are my notes from The Cyprus Sociological Association presents a conference in Honour of Dr. Michalis Attalides - “BETWEEN SOCIAL CHANGE AND NATIONALISM”. I only attended Session 3, 11th of November 11:20-1:00 Title: The Nation, Migrants and Social Change

RAMONA LENZ
“A threat to the integrity of the Nation? The cultural construction of female migrant workers in the Greek Cypriot society”
- domestic workers and sex workers a “consumer good”
- family & career – career women need assistance
- domestic workers have become a necessity
- marriage to eastern EU women popular
- in the 70s the potential female bride criteria was high (she got have a good education, has land, wealthy parents, etc.) and had nothing to do with romance
- (dependency) migrant working women are dependent on their employer
- Are they a threat to society or are they threatening environments that require protection?
- Gender specific - domestic workers
- Sexuality
- National reproduction?


MICHALELA FULIAS SOUROULLA
“Intersocietal mixed marriages in a shifting Cypriot society”
- research on how mixed marriages influence society
- tourism, migrant workers, international education
- changing marriage patterns in Cyprus
o globalisation and transnationalism related phenomena
o changes in social patterns like courtship, marriages, etc.

- 1989 – 2004 saw an increase of 29% in mixed marriages
- Cypriot men prefer foreign wives from Eastern EU
- Hierarchy of acceptable & non-acceptable “foreigners”



NICOS TRIMIKLINIOTIS
“Racism, migrants as social actors and transformations of Cypriot society: in search of a new Cypriot consciousness”

- urbanisation/consumer/economic
- transformation of the urban space/city space/change in the public sphere
- rural background favourable to the urban class
- urban class?
- * 1981 M.Attalides’ book – sun/sea/sex
- Urban adaptation
- Nowadays super exploitation of migrant labour
- There are more migrant women than Greek Cypriot men
- New working class? Segmented?
- Domestic “helpers” and not domestic “workers”
- Cypriot consciouness:
o Can we go beyond nationality?
o Belonging? The right to stay?
o 60-70% migrants make up the trade unions
o Mixed marriages?
o Rethink class division