Practising Motherhood at a Distance: Retention and Loss in Ecuadorian Transnational Families

Boccagni, Paolo

doi:10.1080/1369183x.2012.646421

Cited by 108 publications

(104 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Parreñas and others emphasise how 'mothering at a distance' (Parreñas 2001;Boccagni 2012) today is characteristically dependent on, and shaped through the possibilities and constraints of new communication technologies, to the point that Madianou and Miller (2011) refer to 'mobile phone parenting' . While care giving clearly involves a mix of financial, practical, personal and emotional or moral support (Baldassar 2007a(Baldassar , 2007b(Baldassar , 2008, for Parreñas (2005aParreñas ( , 2001, it is the quest to maintain intimacy that is the core of transnational family life and most challenging to maintain (Baldassar 2008;Ryan 2008).…”

Section: Transnational Families and Long-distance Parentingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transnational Parenting and the Emergence of ‘Diaspora Orphans’ in Zimbabwe

2014

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This article explores the emergence of 'diaspora orphans' over the course of Zimbabwe's crisis. The debates over this phenomenon reflect a range of real emotional and practical problems encountered by children and youth with parents abroad. But they also highlight the ambiguity of moral judgments of emigration and émigrés, and the crisis of expectation that assumptions of diaspora wealth have fostered within families and among those remaining behind. The negative stereotyping of 'diaspora orphans' reflects the moral discourse circulating within families, schools and society more broadly, which is revealing for the light it sheds on unfolding debates over changing parenting, gender, and extended family obligations as these have been challenged by crisis and mass exodus. The article furthers understanding of transnational parenting, particularly the perspectives of those who fulfil substitute parental caring roles for children left behind, and of the moral dimensions of debates over the role of money and material goods in intimate relationships of care for children. It adds a new strand to debates over African youths by focusing not on the problems created through entrap-* This research was funded through esrc grant number 000 22 3795. transnational parenting in zimbabwe 115 African Diaspora 7 (2014) 114-138 ment by poverty, but on the emotional consequences of parents' spatial mobility in middle class families where material resources may be ample. The article is based on interviews with adults looking after children and youths left behind (maids, siblings, grandparents and single parents), and the reflections of teachers and 'diaspora orphans' themselves. Keywords diaspora orphans -transnational families -transnational parenting -left-behind children RésuméCet article explore l' émergence des orphelins de la diaspora au cours de la crise qu' a traversée le Zimbabwe. Les débats qui entourent ce phénomène sont le reflet d' une gamme de problèmes émotionnels et pratiques bien réels qu' ont pu connaître les enfants et les jeunes dont les parents sont en exil. Mais ils éclairent également l' ambiguïté qui entoure les jugements moraux portés sur l' immigration et des immigrés, et les espoirs -souvent déçus -suscités dans les familles et parmi ceux qui restent par la richesse que l' on attribue à la diaspora. Les stéréotypes négatifs autour des « orphelins de la diaspora» sont le reflet des discours moralisateurs en vigueur au sein des familles, des écoles et plus largement de la société et éclairent les débats actuels sur l' évolution des modèles de parentalité, de genre, des obligations familiales qui ont été remis en cause par la crise économique et l' émigration de masse. Cet article expose les enjeux de la parentalité transnationale, en particulier les perspectives de ceux qui remplissent le rôle de substitut parental auprès des enfants restés au pays, et les dimensions morales des débats autour du rôle de l' argent et des biens matériels dans les relations intimes de l' éducation des enfants. Il ajoute un...

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Section: Transnational Families and Long-distance Parentingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transnational Parenting and the Emergence of ‘Diaspora Orphans’ in Zimbabwe

2014

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“…As children are cared for by a sequence of different caregivers in the extended family, this may result in insecurity and confusion on the part of children. Children may have feelings of abandonment, anger and loss even in the rare instances that the decision to migrate was communicated or discussed with the children beforehand (Boccagni, 2012;Pantea, 2011). The propensity for abuse increases with children who are left in the care of multiple caregivers.…”

Section: Consequences For Childrenmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This financial freedom not only benefits the woman, but allows other family members opportunities such as furthering their own education and training (Boccagni, 2012;Contreras & Griffith, 2012;Pantea, 2011;Parreñas, 2001), and improving the living conditions of the entire family. By leaving the household in order to earn an income, many women challenge traditional gender roles where the man is the breadwinner and they are homemakers.…”

Section: Maternal Caregivingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Caregiving remains a predominantly feminised function all over the world, even when the father is present in the household (Boccagni, 2012;Madziva & Zontini, 2012;Parreñas, 2008;Richter, Chikovore & Makusha, 2010;Schatz, 2007;Smit, 2002). It is not surprising that women continue to be constrained by care-giving roles even when they do not physically reside with their children.…”

Section: Maternal Caregivingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In order to deal with problems at home, it may also become necessary for parents to miss a season abroad, or return earlier than anticipated (Boccagni, 2012) and enlist the help of extended family members (Parreñas, 2008). With high levels of poverty, many parents cannot afford to miss a season from work or stay at home too long.…”

Section: Maternal Caregivingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Distance Parenting – Implications for Social Work Practice

Seepamore

2016

SWORK

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Many families in the Global South are inclined to split in order to survive the complex socio-economic conditions in which they find themselves. Labour migration is entrenched in South Africa and so is parenting from a distance. This paper contests the normalisation of split families and distance parenting, and considers the associated implications for children, their parents and substitute caregivers. It further discusses the persistence of stereotypical gender roles in parenting, even where both parents are absent from home. Finally, some recommendations are made for both practitioners and policy makers in relation to distance parenting.

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Engaged parenting, gender, and children's time use in transnational families: An assessment spanning three global regions

Jordan

Dito

Nobles

et al. 2018

Population Space and Place

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Global circuits of migration regularly separate parents from children. How families navigate this separation has changed markedly. The sharp decline in the cost of international communication makes possible new forms of transnational parenting. In many contexts, migrants are now actively engaged parents, involved in decisions, knowledgeable of children's schooling, employment, and activities, and in some cases, even conversant face‐to‐face with children via videoconferencing. These practices, however, are not universal. We use data from surveys in three countries to document the frequency and variability of intensive, engaged transnational parenting in the diverse global regions of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. We then ask whether the organisation of children's lives—specifically, time allocated to school homework, leisure, and household chores—varies by the degree to which migrant parents stay connected to sending homes. The gender of the migrant parent, stay‐behind caregiver, and the gender of the child emerge as explanatory factors for engaged parenting and children's time use. However, and unexpectedly, in the Philippines, migrant mothers are less likely to practice engaged parenting. In sending households, girls in two of the three countries spend more time doing household chores than boys, but parental migration does not mitigate this difference. Although we find some evidence of more traditional gender practices, we also find exceptions that suggest potentially fruitful avenues for future research.

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Practising Motherhood at a Distance: Retention and Loss in Ecuadorian Transnational Families

Cited by 108 publications

References 26 publications

Transnational Parenting and the Emergence of ‘Diaspora Orphans’ in Zimbabwe

Transnational Parenting and the Emergence of ‘Diaspora Orphans’ in Zimbabwe

Distance Parenting – Implications for Social Work Practice

Engaged parenting, gender, and children's time use in transnational families: An assessment spanning three global regions

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