Reconsidering Kinship and Decision-Making in Economic Migration - A Study in Nepal

解释与移民有关的决策的主流方法有许多缺点：它们倾向于依赖理性选择的模型，它们忽视了文化背景的作用或行为者的社会根深性，而且大多无法充分解释民族志现实(Boholm等人)。2013年，夏尔马2008年)。这个DPhil项目旨在通过关注决策的未反映的前期阶段，为决策过程带来新的曙光。在尼泊尔进行为期12个月的实地考察将调查以下问题：在尼泊尔经济移徙的背景下，有哪些基本机制来形成个人对可供选择的选择的看法？此外，研究还应包含政策和干预建议，从而弥合科学与实践之间的差距。尼泊尔广泛、不断增加的劳动力移徙和普遍存在的社会后果令研究人员以及发展行为者感到困惑(例如Sharma等人)。2014年，Sunam和McCarthy 2016年，美国能源部2015年，NIDS 2011年)。尼泊尔境内有移民，也有到世界不同地区的移民；这种移民要么是季节性的，持续数年，要么是永久性的，在国外形成了越来越多的侨民(Adhikari 2012，Banerjee 2014，布鲁塞尔2008，Gellner 2013，Hausner and Gellner 2012，Hutt 1997，Kollmair等人)。2006：152，Nath 2009：106)。影响移徙的因素很复杂，既包括推动因素，也包括拉动因素(Oliver-Smith 2014：146，Hutt 1997：109F)。研究人员和政策制定者倾向于高度重视经济驱动因素(Barbora等人。2008年，奥利弗-史密斯2014：146)。然而，要分离和隔离众多的促成因素是极其困难的，这些因素也可能(或主要)来自社会、人口或政治根源(Oliver-Smith 2014：146，Poertner等人)。2011：35)。青年男子在移徙实践中的持续盛行表明在这方面存在大量的“性别和代际考虑”(Sharma 2013：348)。男性移民希望履行养家糊口的义务，提高家庭的社会经济地位(Sharma 2008：313)。在他们的理由陈述中，他们还强调机会、消费的魅力、现代性和海外冒险(Sharma 2008：312)。尽管国际移徙中的妇女人数增加了1(DOE 2015)，但妇女在迁徙和承担家庭义务方面的规范性限制仍然限制了她们的移徙实践(Thieme and Muller-Böker，2009-2010：118)。性别观念在决策中的中心地位非常符合我在尼泊尔的观察2，我在那里观察到社会结构对女性寻求健康行为的强烈影响。塔芒和切特里社区不同的婚姻模式与不同的居住模式、活动领域、相关义务和关系有关。由此产生的照顾者和工作替补人员的可用性对看医生的决定有很大影响。以此为切入点，旨在加深对经济移民决策的理解，并进一步了解其影响因素的层次性。博霍尔姆等人提出了一个有用的概念。称之为“选择的视野”(Boholm等人)。2013)。它是塑造个人选择的各种因素的总和。如上所述，一些学者已经讨论了性别观念、网络以及社会和文化资本对移民决策的影响，但我打算调查这些因素通过哪些机制塑造对选择和选择的看法，以及它们是否被视为选择。

Prevailing approaches to explain migration-related decision making have numerous drawbacks: they tend to rely on models of rational choice, they neglect the role of cultural context or the social embeddedness of actors, and mostly fail to adequately explain ethnographic reality (Boholm et al. 2013, Sharma 2008). This DPhil project aims to shade new light on the decision-making process by focusing on the unreflected prestage of a decision. A twelve-month fieldwork in Nepal shall investigate the following question: What are the underlying mechanisms for shaping the perception of options available to the individual in the context of economic migration in Nepal? The research shall moreover contain recommendations for policy and intervention, thereby bridging the gap between science and practice.The widespread, evermore increasing labour migration in Nepal and prevailing societal consequences puzzle researchers, as well as development actors (e.g. Sharma et al. 2014, Sunam and McCarthy 2016, DoFE 2015, NIDS 2011). There is both migration within Nepal and migration to different regions of the world; it is either seasonal, for the duration of several years, or permanent and forming a growing diaspora abroad (Adhikari 2012, Banerjee 2014, Bruslé 2008, Gellner 2013, Hausner and Gellner 2012, Hutt 1997, Kollmair et al. 2006: 152, Nath 2009: 106). The influencing factors on migration are complex, including both push and pull factors (Oliver-Smith 2014: 146, Hutt 1997: 109f. Researchers and policy makers tend to attach great importance to the economic drivers (Barbora et al. 2008, Oliver-Smith 2014: 146). Yet, it is extremely difficult to separate and isolate the numerous contributing factors, which may also (or mainly) be of social, demographic, or political origin (Oliver- Smith 2014: 146, Poertner et al. 2011: 35). The persisting prevalence of young men in migration practice is pointing towards plenty of "gendered and generational considerations" in this respect (Sharma 2013: 348). Male migrants hope to fulfil their obligation as breadwinners and to enhance the socio-economic status of their family (Sharma 2008: 313). In their statement of grounds they also stress opportunities, the charm of consumption, modernity, and adventure abroad (Sharma 2008: 312). Although the number of women in international migration increases1 (DoFE 2015), the normative constraints in movement and obligation towards the family for women still restrict their migration practice (Thieme and Muller-Böker 2009-2010: 118). This centrality of gender concepts in decision-making is very much in line with my own observations in Nepal2, where I observed a strong influence of social structure on female health seeking behaviour. The differing marriage patterns of Tamang and Chhetri communities are connected to different patterns of residence, fields of activity, related obligations, and relationships. The resulting availability of care-takers and working replacement has strong impact on the decision to see a doctor. Using this perspective as an entry point, I aim to deepen the understanding of decision-making in economic migration and to learn more about the hierarchy of its influencing factors. A useful concept is what Boholm et al. call "horizons of choice" (Boholm et al. 2013). It is the sum of the factors that shape options of an individual. While the influence of gender concepts, networks, and social and cultural capital on the decision to migrate was already addressed by several scholars as highlighted above, I plan to investigate the mechanisms through which these factors shape the perception of options and choice, and whether they are perceived as options at all.