Exploring the Career Experiences of South Asian Men in Aotearoa, New Zealand

Abstract

This study explores the career experiences of South Asian men in Aotearoa, New Zealand. It does so by viewing their experiences within a broader historical context and using qualitative critical inquiry to situate those experiences. Broadly informed by social constructionism, this thesis uses the theoretical lenses of othering, hegemonic whiteness, racial neoliberalism, and model minority theory to construct a narrative that helps explain some of the barriers South Asian men experience in the employment market. The social construction of hegemonic whiteness is key to explaining the portrayal of South Asian men and how that is weaponised against other racialised peoples as well as other members of the South Asian group.

This study interviewed ten South Asian migrant men with tertiary qualifications and various career experiences. It uses a semi-structured question format, and analysis of participant narratives follows Braun and Clarke (2022) reflexive thematic analysis. The findings suggest that barriers to employment faced by South Asian men in Aotearoa, and the strategies employed by participants to overcome them, are intersectional and situated within a wide range of factors.