Left Behind? Migration Stories of Two Women in Rural China
Autor/in:
Fan, C. Cindy; Chen, Chen
Quelle: Social Inclusion, 8 (2020) 2, S 47-57
Inhalt: Women being left behind in the countryside by husbands who migrate to work has been a common phenomenon in China. On the other hand, over time, rural women’s participation in migration has increased precipitously, many doing so after their children are older, and those of a younger generation tend to start migrant work soon after finishing school. Although these women may no longer be left behind physically, their work, mobility, circularity, and frequency of return continue to be governed by deep-rooted gender ideology that defines their role primarily as caregivers. Through the biographical stories of two rural women in Anhui, this article shows that traditional gender norms persist across generations. Yingyue is of an older generation and provided care to her husband, children, and later grandchildren when she was left behind, when she participated in migration, and when she returned to her village. Shuang is 30 years younger and aspires to urban lifestyle such as living in apartments and using daycare for her young children. Yet, like Yingyue, Shuang’s priority is caregiving. Her decisions, which are in tandem with her parents-in-law, highlight how Chinese families stick together as a safety net. Her desire to earn wages, an activity much constrained by her caregiving responsibility to two young children, illustrates a strong connection between income-generation ability and identity among women of the younger generation. These two stories underscore the importance of examining how women are left behind not only physically but in their access to opportunities such as education and income-generating activity.
Schlagwörter:China; China; ländlicher Raum; rural area; Wanderarbeitnehmer; migrant worker; woman; Betreuung; care; gender-specific factors; Geschlechtsrolle; gender role; Arbeitsteilung; division of labor; soziale Ungleichheit; social inequality; Ostasien; Far East; caregiving; left behind; rural-urban migration
SSOAR Kategorie:Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung, Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie
Mothers Left without a Man: Poverty and Single Parenthood in China
Autor/in:
Li, Qin
Quelle: Social Inclusion, 8 (2020) 2, S 114-122
Inhalt: Most single-parent families in China are headed by women, and single mothers represent one of the fastest-growing groups living in poverty. Yet few studies have examined this group. This article seeks to better understand how (and why) single mothers are disadvantaged in China. Based on in-depth interviews conducted in Zhuhai, Guangzhou Province, it demonstrates that single mothers are left behind in four respects: lower income and worse economic conditions, lower employment and career development opportunities, worse physical and mental health, and poorer interpersonal relationships and less chance of remarriage. The causes of these disadvantages include Chinese family beliefs, a culture of maternal sacrifice, the traditional division of labour between men and women and social stereotypes about single mothers. The article highlights the impacts of Chinese familism culture on single mothers and advocates incorporating a gender perspective into the agenda of family policy and other relevant social policies in China.
Schlagwörter:China; China; allein erziehender Elternteil; single parent; woman; Armut; poverty; Benachteiligung; deprivation; Ungleichheit; inequality; gender-specific factors; kulturelle Faktoren; cultural factors; Tradition; tradition; Mutterschaft; motherhood; Geschlechtsrolle; gender role; Stereotyp; stereotype; Sozialpolitik; social policy; Ostasien; Far East; familism culture; single mothers
SSOAR Kategorie:Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung, Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie
The Same Fertility Ideals as in the Country of Origin? A Study of the Personal Ideal Family Size among Immigrant Women in Italy
Autor/in:
Mussino, Eleonora; Ortensi, Livia Elisa
Quelle: Comparative Population Studies - Zeitschrift für Bevölkerungswissenschaft, 43 (2018) , S 243-274
Inhalt: The role of the personal ideal family size for international migrants has rarely been studied in the current debate on fertility and migration in the European context. It is not known to which extent the reduction of fertility observed among immigrants who settle in a country where fertility is lower than in their country of origin is the result of a change in fertility norms among those immigrants. The study of migrants' ideals family size has the potential to shed light on fertility norms without the interference of economic conditions and migration-related disruptive phenomena. Due to the complexity of its migration context, Italy is an interesting destination country for studying changes in migrants' ideal family sizes. This paper uses data from the survey of the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) on immigrant families conducted in 2011-12. We compare the personal ideal family size of women of reproductive age with the prevalent norm in their country of origin, applying a multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results show that the country of origin has an important role in the determination of immigrants’ ideal family sizes. Women from countries where large families are the ideal are more likely to show a lower personal ideal family size compared to their non-migrant co-nationals, while women from countries where two children are considered ideal mostly share the same norm. The occurrence of fertility preferences expressed in a non-numeric form (e.g. "Up to God") changes between women with different countries of origin. This study confirms that conformity with the ideal of the country of origin is more likely among women who migrated as adults. At the same time, the number of years spent in the destination country is not significantly associated with a shift away from the norms prevalent in the country of origin. Finally, female empowerment and gender equity show their effects mainly on the reduction of non-numeric responses.
Schlagwörter:Migrant; migrant; woman; Italien; Italy; Fruchtbarkeit; fertility; Kinderzahl; number of children; generatives Verhalten; reproductive behavior; Familiengröße; family size; Norm; standard; Tradition; tradition; Herkunftsland; country of origin; Geschlechtsrolle; gender role; Gleichberechtigung; equality of rights; sozioökonomische Faktoren; socioeconomic factors; Ideal number of children; Fertility; Migrants; Italy; Gender Norms
SSOAR Kategorie:Bevölkerung, Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie, Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung
The Same Fertility Ideals as in the Country of Origin? A Study of the Personal Ideal Family Size among Immigrant Women in Italy
Autor/in:
Mussino, Eleonora; Ortensi, Livia Elisa
Quelle: Comparative Population Studies - Zeitschrift für Bevölkerungswissenschaft, 43 (2018) , S 243-274
Inhalt: The role of the personal ideal family size for international migrants has rarely been studied in the current debate on fertility and migration in the European context. It is not known to which extent the reduction of fertility observed among immigrants who settle in a country where fertility is lower than in their country of origin is the result of a change in fertility norms among those immigrants. The study of migrants' ideals family size has the potential to shed light on fertility norms without the interference of economic conditions and migration-related disruptive phenomena. Due to the complexity of its migration context, Italy is an interesting destination country for studying changes in migrants' ideal family sizes. This paper uses data from the survey of the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) on immigrant families conducted in 2011-12. We compare the personal ideal family size of women of reproductive age with the prevalent norm in their country of origin, applying a multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results show that the country of origin has an important role in the determination of immigrants’ ideal family sizes. Women from countries where large families are the ideal are more likely to show a lower personal ideal family size compared to their non-migrant co-nationals, while women from countries where two children are considered ideal mostly share the same norm. The occurrence of fertility preferences expressed in a non-numeric form (e.g. "Up to God") changes between women with different countries of origin. This study confirms that conformity with the ideal of the country of origin is more likely among women who migrated as adults. At the same time, the number of years spent in the destination country is not significantly associated with a shift away from the norms prevalent in the country of origin. Finally, female empowerment and gender equity show their effects mainly on the reduction of non-numeric responses.
Schlagwörter:Italy; fertility; reproductive behavior; number of children; gender role; Migrant; Italien; sozioökonomische Faktoren; Geschlechtsrolle; Gleichberechtigung; country of origin; family size; Kinderzahl; Fruchtbarkeit; Tradition; Familiengröße; generatives Verhalten; Norm; migrant; Herkunftsland; standard; equality of rights; socioeconomic factors; woman; tradition; Ideal number of children; Fertility; Migrants; Italy; Gender Norms
SSOAR Kategorie:Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung, Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie, Bevölkerung
Quelle: Comparative Population Studies - Zeitschrift für Bevölkerungswissenschaft, 43 (2018) , S 275-306
Inhalt: In this article we investigate fertility intentions of Russian women in Estonia from an origin-destination perspective. Russian migrants to Estonia and their descendants are compared with women in the sending and host countries in order to identify similarities and differences in intended transitions to first, second and third births. The study is based on the Estonian and Russian Generations and Gender Surveys, which were conducted in 2004/2005, and employs logistic regression models. The dependent variables are intentions to become a mother, to have a second child, or to have a third child. The hypotheses for the study are mainly derived from the adaptation, cultural maintenance, and selection (characteristics) perspectives. We also incorporate attitudes towards gender roles into the models, which have proven to be a salient factor in shaping childbearing intentions, but have seldom been considered in studies of migrant fertility. Our results lend support to both the adaptation and cultural maintenance perspectives. In accord with the latter, the similarity between the childbearing intentions of Russian migrants and their descendants in Estonia and those of their counterparts in Russia suggests that socialisation to the ethnic subculture has prevailed over the influence of the host society. We attribute this outcome to contextual features that have retarded integration processes. By contrast, we observe that proficiency in the host country language, residence in areas where the host population constitutes a large majority and having a native partner significantly contribute to the adaptation of migrants' intentions to have another child to those of the host population. These results provide support to the adaptation argument. Finally, our study reveals a positive association between egalitarian views on gender roles and women's intentions to have another child. However, variation in gender role attitudes accounts for a relatively minor part of the difference in intended fertility between the groups addressed in this study.
Arbeitsteilungsmuster bei der Ernährungsversorgung von Familien: Persistenz oder Wandel?
Titelübersetzung:Patterns of labour division in the food work of families: persistence or change?
Autor/in:
Häußler, Angela; Meier-Gräwe, Uta
Quelle: GENDER - Zeitschrift für Geschlecht, Kultur und Gesellschaft, 4 (2012) 2, S 9-27
Inhalt: "Wie Zeitbudgeterhebungen und andere empirische Erhebungen für Deutschland zeigen, haben sich die Arbeitsteilungsmuster im Haushalt trotz gestiegener Bildungs- und Erwerbsbeteiligung von Frauen in den letzten Jahrzehnten kaum geändert. Die Ursachen liegen in der gesellschaftlichen Ordnung der Geschlechter, die nach wie vor durch strukturelle Rahmenbedingungen gestützt wird. Auf der individuellen Ebene bildet sich der Dualismus in geschlechtstypischen Identitätskonzepten ab, hier haben Arbeitsteilungsmuster eine konstitutive Funktion." (Autorenreferat)
Inhalt: "According to time-use studies and other empirical studies conducted in Germany, patterns of domestic labor division have remained almost unchanged in spite of greater labor-market and educational participation by women. This is due to social gender relations, which are still supported by societal settings. At the individual level the dualism is expressed in gender-typical concepts of identity. From this perspective, patterns of domestic labor division have a constitutive function." (author's abstract)
Schlagwörter:nutrition; Versorgung; housekeeping; Öffentlichkeit; private household; Arbeitsteilung; Hauswirtschaft; gender role; Federal Republic of Germany; Zeitbudget; the public; privacy; Geschlechtsrolle; supply; man; Privatsphäre; time budget; division of labor; Doing Gender; Familie; identity; woman; Identität; Mann; Ernährung; family; doing gender; Privathaushalt
SSOAR Kategorie:Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung, Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie, Sozialgeschichte, historische Sozialforschung
Langlebige Rollenmuster: Wissenschaftlerinnen mit kleinen Kindern stehen meist hintan
Autor/in:
Hess, Johanna; Rusconi, Alessandra
Quelle: WZB-Mitteilungen, (2010) 129, S 24-27
Inhalt: "Trotz gestiegener Bildungschancen sind hochqualifizierte Frauen besonders bei der Besetzung von Spitzenpositionen deutlich im Nachteil gegenüber ihren männlichen Kollegen. Neben institutionellen Faktoren spielt dabei auch der private Bereich – beispielsweise die Beziehung – eine zentrale Rolle, wenn Frauen bei der Karriere ins Hintertreffen geraten. Während sich Frauen im Beruf ihrem Partner zunehmend gleichgestellt sehen, gilt dies in der Familie nicht – nach wie vor übernehmen Frauen etwa die Hauptverantwortung für die gemeinsamen Kinder. Wenn Geschlechterungleichheit im Privatleben fortbesteht, muss an der beruflichen Gleichheit zwischen Frauen und Männern gezweifelt werden." (Autorenreferat)
Inhalt: "Despite increasing educational opportunities, highly qualified women remain disadvantaged vis-àvis their male colleagues, especially in top positions. In addition to institutional factors, events and decisions within the private sphere, i.e. within the couple, play a role in holding back women’s careers. While women report having the same equal opportunities as their partners with regard to their professional development, this does not apply to the private sphere – as in the past, women take the main responsibility for children. As long as gender inequality in the private sphere persists, it is unlikely that gender equality in the professional sphere will be achieved." (author's abstract)
Back to the kitchen? Gender role attitudes in 13 East European countries
Titelübersetzung:Zurück in die Küche? Einstellungen zu Geschlechterrollen in 13 osteuropäischen Ländern
Autor/in:
Fodor, Eva; Balogh, Anikó
Quelle: Zeitschrift für Familienforschung, 22 (2010) 3, S 289-307
Inhalt: "Dieser Artikel untersucht, auf Basis von Umfragedaten des EUREQUAL-Projektes, die Determinanten von Einstellungen zu Geschlechterrollen in 13 postkommunistischen osteuropäischen Gesellschaften. Unsere Hauptergebnisse bestehen aus zwei Teilen. Erstens: Wir legen dar, dass - entgegen den Erwartungen von Wissenschaftler(inne)n, die das Fehlen eines Gender- oder feministischen Bewusstseins betonen - dass Gender in postkommunistischen Gesellschaften tatsächlich eine wichtige Determinante der Meinungen über die Geschlechterrollen ist: Wie auch anderswo bringen Frauen liberalere Einstellungen als Männer zum Ausdruck. Zweitens: Wir argumentieren, dass die Interaktion anderer Determinanten der Meinungen zu den Geschlechterrollen mit Gender gleichfalls den Mustern folgt, die in der Literatur in Bezug auf weiter entwickelte kapitalistische Gesellschaften beschrieben werden. In dieser Hinsicht scheinen die osteuropäischen Gesellschaften sich den allgemeinen Trends der Herausbildung von Meinungen zu den Geschlechterrollen anzugleichen. Zur Erklärung verweisen wir auf den Zusammenhang zwischen den materiellen Lebensbedingungen von Frauen und ihren Einstellungen zu den Geschlechterrollen, ohne jedoch die Bedeutsamkeit kultureller Unterschiede - wenn sie auch eher Ausnahmen sind - abzustreiten." (Autorenreferat)
Inhalt: "This paper explores the determinants of gender role opinions in 13 post-communist Eastern European societies using survey data from the project EUREQUAL. Our main findings consist of two parts. First, contrary to the expectations of scholars who emphasize the lack of gender/feminist consciousness in Eastern Europe, we argue that gender indeed is an important determinant of gender role opinions in post-communist societies: as elsewhere women express more liberal attitudes than men. Second, we argue that the interaction of other determinants of gender role opinions with gender also follows patterns described in the literature for more developed capitalist countries. In this respect, therefore, East European countries seem to fit the general trends of gender role opinion formation. As explanation we point to a connection between women's material conditions and their gender role attitudes, not denying the importance of cultural difference - if primarily as exception - to this process." (author's abstract)
Narrative Acts: Telling Tales of Life and Love with the Wrong Gender
Titelübersetzung:Erzählhandlungen: Geschichten vom Leben und Lieben (in) der falschen Geschlechtsrolle
Autor/in:
Valentine, James
Quelle: Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 9 (2008) 2, 34 S
Inhalt: Dieser Beitrag illustriert die Möglichkeiten performativer Sozialwissenschaft am Beispiel des weltweit ersten Projektes öffentlicher multimedialer Erzählungen einer nationalen LGBT-Community (LGBT = Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender). Zumeist werden Stimmen aus dieser Community nicht gehört, verborgen oder unterdrückt, Bilder und Darstellungen bleiben oft stereotyp und diskriminierend – eben Konstruktionen "von außen". Viele, die dieser Gemeinschaft zugehören, haben soziale Exklusion und Marginalisierung erfahren, ihre Geschichten wurden ignoriert oder verzerrt. Ihr Leben und ihr Lieben wurde vielfach als "falsch" charakterisiert, "falsch" in medizinischer und moralischer Hinsicht. OurStory Scotland wurde initiiert, um die Geschichte(n) und die Erfahrungen von Menschen aus der LGBT-Community in deren eigenen Worten und mit deren eigener Stimme zu erforschen, festzuhalten und zu präsentieren. Hierzu werden Action Research und performative Socialwissenschaft verbunden. Der Ansatz ist partizipativ und emanzipatorisch; er legt das Wissen einer Community frei und entwickelt es zugleich in unterschiedlichen Weisen erzählerischer Performances. Hierzu wurden (Erzähl-) Methoden inspiziert, die für Mitglieder marginalisierter Gruppen und für deren Coming-out bedeutsam sein könnten. Die Erzählhandlungen, die dann für die Präsentation der eigenen Stimme(n) hinzugezogen wurden, kommen aus unterschiedlichsten Traditionen und gehören verschiedenen Gattungen zu. Hierzu gehören beispielsweise Einzeiler ebenso wie Niederschriften längerer Episoden, Oral-History-Interviews, Gruppenerzählungen, Geschichten, die mit und durch Bilder erzählt werden, Formen visuell-textlichen Coming-outs, "Supporting Stars"-Modelle als Alternative zu konventionellen Familienstammbäumen, Dramatisierungen und Ceilidh Dancing. Die Geschichten, die so entstanden sind, wenden sich gegen fixierte und stereotype Identität(en) und enthüllen die Zentralität des Erzählens für das eigene Leben. Sie illustrieren zugleich die Nützlichkeit eines performative action social research sowohl für eine Gemeinschaft, die über sich selbst forscht als auch für die Präsentation und Verbreitung dieser Forschung und ihrer Ergebnisse.
Inhalt: This presentation provides an illustration of performative social science through the world's first project to focus on multi-media storytelling with a nationwide LGBT community for public representation and museum archiving. Where voices are unheard, hidden or suppressed, the images and representations of a community may be stereotyped and discriminatory, constructed about the community by those on the outside. LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people have experienced social exclusion and marginalisation, and their stories have been neglected or distorted. Their lives and loves have been characterised as wrong: mistaken in medical or moral terms. OurStory Scotland was established to research, record and celebrate the history and experiences of the LGBT community through their own words. Our approach combines action research and performative social science: it is participatory and emancipatory, developing the knowledge of a community through various modes of storytelling performance. This presentation reviews storytelling methods and themes, that have relevance for marginalised communities where disclosure may be problematic. The narrative acts that make up our stories range from one-liners, through written episodes, to oral history recordings, stories shared in group storytelling and narrative exchange, tales told with and through images, "text out" visual displays, "supporting stars" mapping support as an alternative to the conventional family tree, dramatisation and ceilidh performance. The stories challenge fixed and stereotyped identities, and reveal the centrality of storytelling to leading our lives. They also illustrate the rewards of performative action social research, both for a community researching itself and for dissemination more widely.