Reinforcing, negotiating and resisting gender norms among reunited couples in Mexico: An intersectional critical ethnography

This article examines the reunification experiences and gender dynamics of reunited Mexican couples post-migration, and the intersections that shape those experiences. In 2021, we conducted a critical ethnographic study guided by intersectionality theory in Veracruz, Mexico. We interviewed women who...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cogent social sciences 2023-12, Vol.9 (2)
Main Authors: Fernández-Sánchez, Higinio, Salma, Jordana, Dorow, Sara, Salami, Bukola
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Couples
critical ethnography
Employment
Employment status
Ethnography
Gender
Gender relations
Gender roles
Health care
Health care industry
Intersectionality
Medical personnel
Mexico
Migrants
Migration
Policy making
Return migration
Women
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Summary:This article examines the reunification experiences and gender dynamics of reunited Mexican couples post-migration, and the intersections that shape those experiences. In 2021, we conducted a critical ethnographic study guided by intersectionality theory in Veracruz, Mexico. We interviewed women who stayed behind (n = 20), return migrants (n = 12), health care providers (n = 6), and community leaders (n = 12). Data was analyzed using thematic analysis using NVivo software as aid. We found that the intersection of age, gender, and employment status influenced gender relations among reunited couples postmigration. Couples reinforced, negotiated, and resisted pre-established gender norms in Agua Dulce. The findings suggest that women have the capacity to act on the relationship pathway upon the return of their migrant partners at the dynamic intersection of age, gender, and employment status. These must be understood against the backdrop of gender norms in the study context. This article provides an important theoretical contribution to research and policy. The contribution lies in the rich intersectional understanding of how and why relationships are affected in different ways depending on intersecting factors across the pre-, during, and post- migration experience. Policymakers and stakeholders can use it to identify ways to enhance women's agency.
ISSN:2331-1886
2331-1886
DOI:10.1080/23311886.2023.2276139