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Making a Living in Rural Vietnam from (Im)mobile Livelihoods: a Case of Women's Migration
Author(s) -
Thao Vu Thi
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
population, space and place
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.398
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1544-8452
pISSN - 1544-8444
DOI - 10.1002/psp.1706
Subject(s) - livelihood , economic growth , work (physics) , rural area , family life , socioeconomics , geography , sociology , development economics , political science , agriculture , economics , mechanical engineering , archaeology , law , engineering
Women's labour has come to play a remarkable role in Vietnam's development since the introduction of renovation in the 1980s. Although many rural households send their women members to cities to seek an off‐farm income, other households seem to be immobile. Drawing on a case study of women's migration in two rural villages located in the Red River Delta, this paper explores how mobility, immobility, and gendered life courses interact in shaping household livelihoods. The findings highlight the intermingling of mobility and immobility in constructing the livelihoods of both mover and stayer households over the gendered life course. Although women work in the informal sector, their migration not only secures but also enhances household livelihoods. The paper also reveals the diverse backgrounds of stayer households and their activeness in making a living. Given its emphasis on gendered life courses, the paper provides a more nuanced understanding of the economic impacts of migration at the household level. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.