International migration and family dynamics

A growing literature is focusing on the lives and practices of transnational families, particularly those with children. This study is based on the French context where despite a long history of immigration, the topic has been relatively overlooked. Even if numbers of transnational families based in France seem to have been decreasing in the last two decades, they have also changed in nature and are more often headed by female migrants. In this context, we aim to understand whether the migrant parent’s gender has an impact on the practices and migration projects within these families with some previous studies pointing to gender specific parental responsibilities. Our results point to the fact that in order to understand the differences in transnational fathering and mothering practices, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the transnational family. Integrating this dimension into the analysis reevaluates the role of gender on these practices.

We investigate the determinants of language use between migrant parents and their children in Flanders. Coleman’s family capital theory serves as the theoretical orientation of the study. Differences in physical, human and social capital are believed to account for differences found between migrant families’ use of the heritage and/or destination language (Dutch) at home. Furthermore, we expect that variances in ethnic capital (e.g. ethnic background and ethnocultural family type) might explain different linguistic repertoires. Last but not least, family structure is believed to serve as a gateway through which different forms of family capital influence the use of heritage language. Data from 900 migrant adolescents from the Leuvens Adolescents’ and Families Study is analyzed by means of Multinomial Logistic Regression and subsequent Multilevel Regression Models where school and neighborhood variables are included. Preliminary correlation analyses indicate that language-use is related to background variables such as ethnicity and ethnocultural family type. Some family capital variables appear to be significant (parental conflict, parental dissolution, human & physical capital of mother) while others are not (relationship quality with parents & physical capital of father). More data will be collected during the fall of 2012.

Using high-quality administrative register data from Norway (N=1,021,491) and Sweden (N=1,923,870), we study the marriage behavior of all migrant- and non-migrant-background individuals born between 1972 and 1989, who were either born in Norway or Sweden or who immigrated prior to age 18 (generation 1.5). The timing of first marriage, relative to patterns of assortative mating, may be informative as to the socio-cultural distance between majority and migrant-background subpopulations. We analyze the differential hazards of marrying an individual of majority- or migrant-background within a competing risk framework. We further differentiate individuals by migrant generation, number of foreign-born parents, and (parental) region of origin. We demonstrate how the individual characteristics of migrant-background individuals (i.e., second generation status and having one majority parent) and the characteristics of one’s partnership (i.e., exogamy) are associated with marital timing patterns that are more similar to the majority populations in both Norway and Sweden. Results provide deeper insight into the family dynamics of migrants and their descendants.

This paper uses data from the first wave of the New Immigrant Survey to analyze assortative marriage among immigrants recently admitted to legal permanent residence (LPR) in the U.S. We selected currently married respondents and estimated the probabilities that they will be married to spouses who have the same or higher levels of education. We distinguish between marriages that happened before and after arrival in the U.S. and marriages to U.S.-born spouses. Our models control characteristics like education, age at marriage, number of marriages, skin color, region of origin, religion, and basis for obtaining LPR. Preliminary results show that education has a strong positive effect on educational homogamy. We find that the likelihood of educational homogamy for women and men differs significantly by region of origin, religion, type of green card sponsorship, having married before migration, and being married to a U.S. Citizen.

Estimated at $399 in 2012, remittances are considered “untapped sources for development funding” by the World Bank and the G20. Beyond the contentions about communities using the monies for consumables instead of development, there is recognition that conflict zones need remittances to stay afloat. The West Bank is on of those places. From a development perspective, the West Bank remains stagnant, yet for West Bank Palestinians they consider themselves involved in political resistance against the Israeli occupation by building homes and supporting relatives in their everyday lives. The arguments made in this paper are based on data collected in an ethnographic study conducted in New York and New Jersey between 2001-2008. Using Viviana Zelizer and Charles Tilly’s “Relations and categories,” this paper contends remittances do not have to produce dependency or corrupt intimate relationships when those involved imbue the financial transfers with positive meaning. By tracing the informal mechanisms devised to send remittances, it is concluded that such mechanisms and not only the dollar amount bolster West Bank Palestinian networks and community pride, and build commitments among the American-born.

This paper explores the multi-layered gender and family dynamics of migration aspirations. In many low- and middle-income countries, a substantial proportion of young adults wish to migrate internationally. In some cases, aspirations are similar between the sexes; in other cases, they differ. This paper explores the interactive determinants of men’s and women’s migration aspirations, taking into account their family circumstances. It does so on the basis of new survey data from 16 areas of origin of migration to Europe: four areas each in Morocco, Senegal, Turkey and Ukraine (N = 16 x 500). These areas differ with reference to migration history, social conservativeness and migration aspirations. In addition to personal migration aspirations, the survey data includes information on attitudes to the migration of men and women, family approval of migration, and interpersonal encouragement and discouragement of migration. This makes it possible to move beyond examining determinants of men’s and women’s aspirations separately. While the paper makes substantive contributions to the study of migration aspirations, it also aims to make methodological advances for comparative analyses of multi-sited survey data.

This paper describes changes in the stock and demographic composition of Peruvian migrants, firstly, it explores the migration process using secondary sources: the 2001 national census and the provincial census 2008, which is observed alteration suffered by residential settlement site, through the comparison of the distribution, district level, in the two dates and arises-hypothetically-that the observed changes are beyond the economic conditions areas of origin and destination, to link the development of migration networks in Cordoba, both family support and employment is also observed that the presence of Peruvians grew sharply in the last decade. However, there are some striking results, such as changes in terms of demographics, education, and informal employment.
Secondly, the analysis focuses on exploratory interviews applied in 2008 and a survey relieved in late 2009 to members of the Peruvian community in neighborhoods with the highest concentration. Changes observed in their demographic composition, the importance of networks of linkages to sustain the process, its relation to the social, economic and political relations between the two countries and their future continuity. At the individual level, is clearly on the rise accompanying the change in the economic integration of migrants.

This paper examines fertility and earnings development of recent immigrants in Sweden as a response to Swedish family policy changes. The child-care reform of 2002 is studied. Differences in earnings and fertility behavior between immigrant families and “native” homogenous families are estimated to study the hypothesis that increased accessibility to child-care might be particularly beneficial to the immigrant groups. Data for the period 1997-2009 are employed in the study.
The results of the empirical study argue the presence of a certain life pattern among “native” families having unemployment experience. It seems that this group gains more from combination of childbearing, getting child allowances and unemployment insurance. Nevertheless, all groups increased family labor supply after the reform 2002. There is a slight difference in male and female labor supply between the groups of immigrants, but this is unlikely related to the Swedish family policy and more likely corresponds to ethnic traditions and male and female roles in family.

Migration has a potential to increase rural development as has been shown by several studies around the world but empirical work is limited in Central Africa. Therefore, using the New Economics of Labour Migration (NELM) and Lewis- Fei- Ranis theory as analytical frameworks, this study tests whether migration affect investment in fertilizer, high yielding varieties and hired labour in Rwanda and DRC. Migration has negative effect on input use which confirms and conflicts other findings in smallholder agriculture around the World. However, migration bears a positive effect on hired farm labour use. The mixed effects clearly show that the relationship between migration and crop production is not homogenous and varies with production conditions, dominant crop enterprises, social and beliefs and norms. The negative effect of migration on input use clearly supports the NELM and Lewis- Fei- Ranis theory arguments. This requires attention of policymakers in Central Africa because migration only helps to ease farm households’ liquidity and capital constraints in the short run with limited contribution to agricultural intensification. The possible policy could be to create enabling environment for both migrants and family left behind to invest in agriculture and subsidize the remittances sent for agricultural production activities.

Latin America and the Caribbean, from the early 1950s starts a change of orientation of international migration with an emigration trend as a consequence, basically, of the european economic recovery and of the world in general, as well as the establishment of close political, economic and trade relations in the region with the United States
.This situation is evident, in particular, in small economies like the Caribbean affected by one sensitive exodus, among others, of teaching professionals and nurses. Specifically in the Caribbean, around the year 2000 while the total number of immigrants to the area represented 7.2% of the national population, the emigrants represented 15.5% of the population.
In the Caribbean this emigration is significantly marked by the increasing participation of women, who in some countries of the region have reached majority. This feminization of migration is related, inter alia with the demand for labour in service activities in recipient countries, the effects of social networks, and the modalities of family reunification, while the fundamental motivation of this movement is attributed to labour demand.
Characteristics, trends and implications of this process, not only labor but also family, are analyzed in the paper in case studies of selected Caribbean Islands