Social Networks and Settlement in the Country of Reception: Negotiations of Pakistani Migrants in Korean Society

Abstract

Migrants, living in somewhat close societies where settlement poses a greater challenge, tend to use social networks (formal and informal) more frequently to make their lives at ease in a new environment. The present paper focuses on the use of social networks, formal (community organizations) and informal (friendship networks) of Pakistani migrants in South Korea for the settlement purpose. The study focuses on meso level (role of community organizations in settlement process), and micro level (the perceptions of individuals regarding the role of community organizations as well as the wider society) of settlement process. The paper positions Pakistani community in Korean society regarding settlement and integration and posits that Pakistanis are only settlers but not integrated on the continuum of settlement and integration. The paper further explains that how social networks, develop within the community, work for its betterment especially in the areas of employment, Dissemination of information, and conflict mediation. The research is qualitative and relies on the in-depth interviews of respondents.