Article: Bordering of family and the social care of migrant farmworkers: men's gendered experiences of the global care chain Journal: International Journal of Migration and Border Studies (IJMBS) 2024 Vol.8 No.1/2 pp.119 - 138 Abstract: This article explores how family separation, enforced by destination countries' bordering practices, denies the humanity of men migrant workers and places them in a situation of both family and social care deficit when they experience illness, loneliness or other personal difficulties while abroad. Drawing on semi-structured interviews in two studies about the social rights of migrant workers to Canada, we illustrate our arguments with two case studies of Guatemalan agricultural workers who experienced major health problems necessitating care. Given the impossibility of being joined by their families and their barriers to accessing social care in Canada, their care deficit was acutely evident. We conclude with a discussion of how examining the care needs of men migrant workers can advance our understanding of the global care chain from an expanded gender perspective and provide a basis for advocacy to abolish immigration policies that place borders within families and keep migrants outside the borders of social care. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Bordering of family and the social care of migrant farmworkers: men's gendered experiences of the global care chain

Authors: Jill Hanley; Pankil Goswami; Guillermo Ventura Sanchez

Addresses: School of Social Work, McGill University, 550 Sherbrooke O., #100, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B9, Canada ' School of Social Work, McGill University, 550 Sherbrooke O., #100, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B9, Canada ' Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Concordia University, 1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W., Montreal, QC, H3G 1M8, Canada

Abstract: This article explores how family separation, enforced by destination countries' bordering practices, denies the humanity of men migrant workers and places them in a situation of both family and social care deficit when they experience illness, loneliness or other personal difficulties while abroad. Drawing on semi-structured interviews in two studies about the social rights of migrant workers to Canada, we illustrate our arguments with two case studies of Guatemalan agricultural workers who experienced major health problems necessitating care. Given the impossibility of being joined by their families and their barriers to accessing social care in Canada, their care deficit was acutely evident. We conclude with a discussion of how examining the care needs of men migrant workers can advance our understanding of the global care chain from an expanded gender perspective and provide a basis for advocacy to abolish immigration policies that place borders within families and keep migrants outside the borders of social care.

Keywords: global care chain; care deficit; migrant workers; Canada; agricultural workers; social rights; gender; men; Guatemala; access to health; social care; family separation; bordering.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMBS.2024.140138

International Journal of Migration and Border Studies, 2024 Vol.8 No.1/2, pp.119 - 138

Received: 05 Feb 2023
Accepted: 14 Nov 2023
Published online: 24 Jul 2024 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article

Title: Bordering of family and the social care of migrant farmworkers: men's gendered experiences of the global care chain

Keep up-to-date