Abstract This article engages critically with concepts of ‘skill’, ‘expertise’, and ‘capacity’ as they operate as markers of distinction and domination and shape migratory labour relations among road construction workers from across South Asia in the Maldives archipelago. The article examines roadwork at three levels: the professional biographies leading to ‘flexible specialization’ rather than technical expertise amongst Maldivian managers; the technical expertise and social incorporation of ‘skilled’ Sri Lankan supervisors; and the key material expertise of ‘non‐skilled’ Bangladeshi labourers in precarious employment. Whilst discussions of South Asian labour migration have been dominated by caste and class, this article argues that it is important to consider how the cultural production and understanding of concepts such as ‘expertise’, ‘capacity’, and ‘exposure’ at worksites can (also) become distinguishing factors in (hierarchical) migratory labour relations.

中文翻译：

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道路工程：在马尔代夫修建道路的专业知识

摘要 本文批判性地探讨了“技能”、“专长”和“能力”的概念，因为它们作为区别和支配地位的标志运作，并塑造了来自马尔代夫群岛南亚各地的道路建设工人之间的移民劳动关系。这篇文章从三个层面考察了道路工作：导致“灵活专业化”的专业传记，而不是马尔代夫管理人员的技术专长；“熟练”斯里兰卡主管的技术专长和社会融合；以及处于不稳定就业状态的“非技术”孟加拉国劳工的关键材料专业知识。虽然关于南亚劳务移民的讨论一直以种姓和阶级为主，但本文认为，重要的是要考虑文化生产和对“专业知识”等概念的理解，