Gendered Emotions Within the Migration Process : A case study of Argentinean migrants in Miami - Vermot, Cécile (Paris : CEPED, 2009)
Immigration is often seen as a rational choice by people who seek more economic opportunities or who flee politically oppressive regimes or violence. However, it has been suggested that emotions and emotional actions have to be seen as conceptually rational. The aim of this paper is to assess the role emotions have played in the choice to migrate and how this choice has affected gender roles after migration. I use a case study of Argentinean immigrants in the United States to explore these issues. Findings from the interviews carried out reveal that the economic crisis in Argentina affected the emotional well‐being of the male Argentineans, because they were not able to fulfil their socially prescribed role as breadwinner, while women could continue to fulfil their role as caregivers, not only of their children but also of their husbands. Thus, migration was a response to the emotional difficulties men experienced when they were unable to care for their families financially.
00000
Keywords: report; technical report; Working Papers du CEPED; Argentineans; Emotion; Gender; feminism; migration; transnationalism