Towards professionalism through social networks: constructing an occupational community via Facebook usage by temporary migrant workers from the Philippines

Social networking sites (SNSs) have restructured the ways that workers reflect on their occupational identity and work to elevate its prestige and social status. In this study, we investigate Facebook activities of Filipino temporary migrant workers employed as caregivers in Israel and instead of cultural or leisure communal and SNS activities, this study aims to focus on migrant workers’ daily occupation, questioning: How do SNS expressions shape and co-create an occupational community of temporary migrant workers? Through an extensive methodology that incorporates over 800 Facebook posts and supported by an extensive ethnographic research, the study uncovers four facets of communication that relate to caregiver work: utility, care, emotive and legal. These facets are then related to the construction of symbolic knowledge, accountability, expressivity, responsibility (ethics) and developing know-how. Thus, SNSs are found to provide a powerful platform for marginalized occupations and communities, to foster preliminary forms of (semi)professionalism, and gain social recognition from within their community and beyond. Hence, the study elucidates unintended impacts of grassrooted online self-educating communities and demonstrates their potential for evoking change in self-image and occupational identity.