Manufacturing and Migration in Eurasia |
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Authors: | Regine A Spector |
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Institution: | 1. Political Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 200 Hicks Way, Thompson Hall, Amherst, MA, 01003, USArspector@polsci.umass.edu |
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Abstract: | AbstractThis article investigates the social foundations of apparel manufacturing in Kyrgyzstan. Drawing upon interviews and a survey of Bishkek-based workshop owners, a bottom-up analysis finds that many are family businesses that started producing clothing after the country’s independence in 1991. I discuss here how they acquired the capital and knowledge necessary for this business, and how they mobilised a variety of migration-related experiences and relationships—often related to bazaar work—to compete in the sector. The findings contribute to a growing literature on how migration can facilitate family-based manufacturing in the post-Soviet region, although not without significant costs and challenges. |
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