This thesis is a result of a Minor Field Study with the purpose to examine the transnational labour migration by women in the Philippines who seek temporary employment abroad but plan to return to the Philippines after their contracts expired. The thesis is based on three months of anthropological fieldwork primarily in Manila between January and March 2013, using interviews and observations as my main methodological tool. I will reflect over the way in which women labour migration affect the women individually and socially by leaving one context and entering another. Migration places the Filipina outside the domestic sphere within their home country and increases their income-earning power. The Filipina has taken the role as the family’s breadwinner and is thereby challenging dominant gender roles within the Philippine society. The experience being a female migrant enhances their status, makes them stronger, more confident and provides them with the opportunity to make decisions independent of their male partners. Filipinas are being praised by their own society as ‘modern day heroes’, but at the same time blamed for leaving their obligation as dutiful daughters, nurturing mothers and caring wives. Ideas from state and society do not correspond to the reality, namely a reality where women have taken the position as their family’s main breadwinner. Which complicates the ability to induce a change in ideas regarding gender roles for men and women. Conclusively, the female migration has not resulted in a change regarding gender roles within the Philippine society.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:uu-226327 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Maurin, Beatrice |
| Publisher | Uppsala universitet, Kulturantropologiska avdelningen |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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