Explain how migration experiences shape gender relations among Essay

Explain how migration experiences shape gender relations among migrants - Essay Example In the context of social relations, gender is not a replacement of the term sex but rather a collective description of sexual differences that do not concern biological determinism (Wright, 2011). Gender relations are the rules of interaction and participation in society of men and women that have been generally accepted as appropriate within society and social roles as well as the division of labour (Chant, 2007). These rules differ in nature and extent depending on the culture of the persons concerned. Gender is therefore in this context perceived as an organising principle due to the socio-cultural attachment that the society accredits the participants of the particular gender. Argument The main bodies of literature on the subject of migration have a common trend that is geared toward the feminization of migration motivated by concepts such as single female breadwinners, single female breadwinners as well as low skilled women from urban backgrounds (Momsen, 2010). The issue of gen der violence motivated migration has seen women flee to areas of friendlier societal values and attributes. Migration serves to pollute in various ways the properly constructed social relations by introducing different roles motivated by the different cultures and social origins. It also causes an imbalance in the composition of society reducing the number of individuals available to perform a particular allocated social role (Momsen, 2010). Most of the migrants result to moving in response to socio-economic and political pressures and incentives. These pressures and incentives are motivated by inequalities in the countries concerned that create a need for or a promise of money or a better life. As such migration is mostly voluntary and in other cases involuntary if the migration is as a result of trafficking and response to political instability, natural disaster or armed conflict. It is still not clear as to who on behalf of the family makes the decision to migrate to different co untries. The interaction between the family hierarchies and the decision to migrate is a highly interactive relationship that determines where the family migrates to and for how long (Bouta, Frerks & Bannon, 2004). In other cases forced migration has nothing to do with the family relations. An English boy who flees his home to avoid harassment and sexual abuse or a Somali girl who crosses the border at night due to the hostility in their country do not have the time to consider the strictures of family attachments and relations. In cases of political and social hostilities such as the case of the Somali migrants the women suffer immensely through the migration journey from the harsh conditions of little food and water and extreme temperatures(Bouta, Frerks, & Bannon, 2004). The interaction with the potentially dangerous and harmful conditions as well as the use of false identification documents leads to imprisonment of the women and children or restriction to refugee camps that have extremely poor social arrangements. Further the proportion of women and children who are not recruited and used as soldiers are left to endure multiple rapes and associated injuries and infections incurred during war (Afshar & Eade, 2005). Gender relations are built on the foundation of proper social