ABSTRACT
What is most compelling and appropriate about the concept of ideology for our analysis is what Purvis and Hunt have termed its ‘directionality’. In their words, ‘ . . . ideology always works to favour some and to disadvantage others’ (Purvis and Hunt 1993, 478). In this sense, ideology has a sharper edge than other concepts wemight have chosen, such as ‘discourse’, or even ‘theory’ or ‘theoretical framework’. As Purvis and Hunt (1993, 478) elaborate:
This edge works well for our analysis, because while we are engaged in advocating for better legal protections for migrant workers, we are also reticent about the promises of rights remedies as permanent solutions to the barriers and difficulties facing migrant workers. Our analysis derives in large part from our desire to express this tension underlying advocacy efforts.
