Transnational migration and families - continuities and changes along processes of sustained migration: a case of Tsholotsho in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe
| dc.contributor.author | Maviza, Gracsious | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-03-20T16:56:03Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-03-20T16:56:03Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2020 | |
| dc.description | A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy (Development Studies) degree, 2020 | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Within Zimbabwe, Matabeleland has had the largest historical and contemporary intra-regional migration record, particularly migration to South Africa. Over and above the protracted multifaceted crises in Zimbabwe, two factors are the joint and strong drivers of the intra-regional migration from the Matabeleland provinces into South Africa. First, Matabeleland shares borders with South Africa and the people of Matabeleland often move to and from South Africa in search of better economic opportunities. Second, Matabeleland shares common cultures and languages with certain ethnic groups in South Africa. This migration and more recently, transnational migration emerge as an important factor inducing changes in the socio-economic and political domains in the contemporary African landscape with some of the social changes observed within families. Notwithstanding, most studies have tended to focus narrowly on the economic and financial dimensions of transnational migration, with a strong focus on remittances hence the paucity of studies examining historical continuities and contemporary changes in family arrangements. Thus, this study addresses the question of how this mass exodus affects the different dimensions of family systems in transnational settings. Using Tsholotsho in Matabeleland North Province as a case-in-point, the study employs multi-sited ethnographic methods to investigate the historical continuities and current changes that have occurred in transnational family structures, lives and organisation in the Matabeleland provinces of Zimbabwe due to transnational migration. This study examines; whether and if so, how families with migrant members are functioning as transnational families and if the changes that are taking place in family structure, life and relations are as a result of living transnationally. The methodology included in-depth interviews and family history accounts from those left-behind in Tsholotsho and transnational migrants from Tsholotsho who reside in Johannesburg. The study adopted a systemic approach combining theories of global care chains, circulation of care, family systems theory and symbolic interactionism to understand how different dimensions of familyhood are affected by transnational migration. A number of critical issues emerged in the findings. In the history of migration in Tsholotsho, there have been noted changes and continuities in the actual processes of migration. There has been a continuous process of migration across borders, most of which has occurred outside the legal parameters, and continue to be so in spite of the changes in migration regimes. Patterns of residence and authority of those left behind significantly changed in response to feminisation of migration and the physical separation of both parents and children. In addition, the definition of family has changed to embrace non-blood relations. Changes in the processes of migration have largely been shaped by developments in the transport technologies that have made travelling between Tsholotsho and Johannesburg easier. As migrant families transitioned to being transnational families, migrant members were able to be involved in everyday matters of family life while away and exert their authority from a distance. Notwithstanding, although the transition from migrant families to transnational families has eased the burden of interaction and decision making on families in migration in Tsholotsho, there remains a perpetual and constant negative that cuts across the realities of both the migrant and transnational families. This is mainly evident in spousal relations as well as in parent-child relationships. On one hand, separation of spouses due to migration in transnational families has had detrimental effects on the survival of marriages as both public and private extra marital affairs emerge to be a common feature. On the other hand, parent-child relationships are significantly weakened. In both epochs, the left behind children see their migrant parents as mere providers and financiers of their needs and do not have that strong emotional bond with them as parents. Thus, regardless of the efforts and abilities to be socially present through virtual platforms, the transnational social spaces do not provide platforms for emotional and psychological needs that are key in spousal and parent-child relationships. In relation to life-cycle rituals, while continuously performed across borders, those relating to births, marriages and deaths are changing, telling us a lot about the changing social relations and the emergent influences of space, place and time. As migrants became simultaneously embedded owing to transnational migration, there was an evident transnationalisation of ritual spaces as families adjusted to the realities of their transnational familyhood. In rituals related to deaths and births, that is, the place of burial and disposal of the umbilical code, the importance of the place called home emerged as most migrants viewed burial in Tsholotsho as a must. The findings from this study thus contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex of transnationalism and families and the changes and continuities that occur within families as they are exposed to constant and sustained migratory trends. The resultant family life defies normative notions of familyhood based on proximity and shared residence as family life and other significant family practices are transacted virtually regardless of distance. As migrants are simultaneously embbeded, they perform and at times participate in family rituals transnationally depicting migrant families’ engagement in symbolic interactionism even across place and space | en_ZA |
| dc.description.librarian | CK2021 | en_ZA |
| dc.faculty | Faculty of Humanities | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10539/30745 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.phd.title | PhD | en_ZA |
| dc.school | School of Social Sciences | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Transnational migration and families - continuities and changes along processes of sustained migration: a case of Tsholotsho in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |
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