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Gender and Migration: Evidence from Transnational Marriage Migration

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Part of the book series: International Handbooks of Population ((IHOP,volume 8))

Abstract

Transnational marriage migration powerfully captures how migration – a demographic and social phenomenon – is highly contentious and gendered. Marriage migration generates intense controversy, visible in the many representations of marriage migrants in public discourse that reflect polarized stereotypes imbued with distinct gender messages. Sensationalist media accounts commonly portray women marriage migrants as abusing migration policies through fake marriages, or as helpless victims of trafficking. These dramatic depictions rarely capture how uneven economic development, demographic pressures, unprecedented ease of communication across vast differences, and accelerated international migration intersect in the arena of marriage in complex and highly gendered ways. In reality, there is a great deal of (gendered) diversity in the causes, consequences, and experiences that are captured under the broad umbrella of ‘marriage migration.’ To shed light on the complex articulations between gender, marriage, and migration in a globalized world, the present chapter outlines theoretical and empirical perspectives on transnational marriage migration, with an emphasis on marriage migration within Asia (Vietnam to South Korea and Taiwan) and to North America (Canada).

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Bélanger, D., Flynn, A. (2018). Gender and Migration: Evidence from Transnational Marriage Migration. In: Riley, N., Brunson, J. (eds) International Handbook on Gender and Demographic Processes. International Handbooks of Population, vol 8. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1290-1_13

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