ABSTRACT

This introduction provides an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book reflects on major theoretical and methodological orientations of Australian scholarship on migration, race and multiculturalism. Using South Korea as the case study, the book illustrates the value of a multi-scalar approach that combines national comparison with qualitative local case studies, building on collaborations with local researchers. It explores the shift to temporary migration and the case of temporary migrant workers in Australia based on his qualitative research with South Korean working holiday makers in Sydney and secondary data on the composition of Australia's temporary migrant intake. The book identifies both epistemological limitations and gaps in critical scholarship in the areas of race, racism and nationalism. It draws on more recent conceptualisations of mobilities and their effects. The book also reflects on the Australian variants of capitalism and cosmopolitanism, describing Australia as cosmopolitan as well as 'intensely capitalistic'.