Invisibility and the Convergence of Formal and Informal Practices: Field Reflections on Tracing Early Care Labour Migration of Nursing Students from Kerala to Germany
Fieldwork in Kerala revealed how deeply informal practices shaped this migration history—and how such practices resist conventional archival or institutional reconstruction. The lack of documentation is not simply a research obstacle, but a historical phenomenon that must be understood in its own right. Accessing this “invisible” history required cultural and religious literacy, trust-building, and long-term engagement beyond formal interviews.