Dirty Work

Immigrants in Domestic Service, Agriculture, and Prostitution in Sicily

Dirty Work explores the lives and work of recent immigrants from Africa, Asia, and elsewhere to the southern Italian region of Sicily. Using extensive research, Cole and Booth focus on the experiences of foreigners employed in domestic service, prostitution, and agriculture. Investigation of these key sectors affords a revealing vantage point onto the place of Sicily in the increasingly international circuit of people, goods, practices, and capital. The book departs from the focus, common in immigration studies, on a single nationality or location by instead describing the experiences of foreigners of diverse origins in rural and urban areas. The Sicilian case epitomizes what is one of the most significant developments in contemporary Europe: the recent transformation of the South from labor exporter to immigrant destination. Probing the material foundations of the contemporary world,Dirty Work's clear and compelling presentation of timely themes should make it of interest to a broad readership, including students, scholars, and the interested public.