Gracia Liu-Farrer on the social construction of skill, feat. Helena Hof episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 10, 2026 · 35 MIN

Gracia Liu-Farrer on the social construction of skill, feat. Helena Hof

from Borders & Belonging · host CERC Migration

What happens when a visa category becomes a verdict on your worth? Gracia Liu-Farrer reflects on the ideas and experiences that shaped her influential work on migration, labour markets and the social construction of skill. She is joined by Helena Hof, whose research examines how labels like "high-skilled" and "low-skilled" are assigned, contested and recognised across cities, institutions and borders. Together, they discuss why skill is never simply what you know or what you can do, how power and place determine whose abilities get recognised, and what it would mean to think about talent as something cultivated rather than possessed.Guests: Gracia Liu-Farrer, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Institute of Asian Migration, Waseda University; Helena Hof, Senior Research Fellow, University of Zurich.🎧 Follow Borders & Belonging on LinkedIn.🌎 Have a question or episode idea? Email [email protected].

What happens when a visa category becomes a verdict on your worth? Gracia Liu-Farrer reflects on the ideas and experiences that shaped her influential work on migration, labour markets and the social construction of skill. She is joined by Helena Hof, whose research examines how labels like "high-skilled" and "low-skilled" are assigned, contested and recognised across cities, institutions and borders. Together, they discuss why skill is never simply what you know or what you can do, how...

NOW PLAYING

Gracia Liu-Farrer on the social construction of skill, feat. Helena Hof

0:00 35:47

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Borders & Belonging?

This episode is 35 minutes long.

When was this Borders & Belonging episode published?

This episode was published on March 10, 2026.

What is this episode about?

What happens when a visa category becomes a verdict on your worth? Gracia Liu-Farrer reflects on the ideas and experiences that shaped her influential work on migration, labour markets and the social construction of skill. She is joined by Helena...

Is there a transcript available for this episode?

Yes, a full transcript is available for this episode. You can read the complete transcript on the episode page.

Can I download this Borders & Belonging episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!