Abstract
In this paper I seek to achieve a better understanding of the immigrants experience before the bureaucratic instances. It is founded on Foucault´s and Aiwha Ong´s concepts of power and optimization, and Bourdieu´s notion of capital. On the basis of such concepts, I try to shed light on how the State and human rights agents exercise power by weaving a social tissue on the basis of the maintenance and transference of capitals. In this context, the ‘optimized’ and ‘flexible’ individual emerges as a paradigm/exception, not only as a part of the social class context, but mainly in society that is now fragmented according to national, gender and work situation categories.
Keywords
immigration; mobility; optimization; flexibility; bureaucracy; market