Fatemeh Jafari Naeimi; Ali Ruhani; Maliheh Alimondegari
Abstract
From spirituality to rationality:, exploring the paths of adaptation and survival of marginalized immigrant women in Yazd cityThe mobility and movement of the population shows the dynamics and effort of people who consider the field of effort limited for themselves in a geographical place. Therefore, ...
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From spirituality to rationality:, exploring the paths of adaptation and survival of marginalized immigrant women in Yazd cityThe mobility and movement of the population shows the dynamics and effort of people who consider the field of effort limited for themselves in a geographical place. Therefore, they migrate as a rational natural process (Akbari et al., 2020). Coleman states that one of the most important features of the third demographic transition is the increase in immigration (Coleman, 2006). Also, Castells and Miller, consider the feminization of immigration as one of the characteristics of the era of immigration (Mushfiq & Khazaei, 2015). Research shows changes in the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of women's migration. As in the quantitative dimension, women make up almost half of the immigrants, and in the qualitative dimension, they are no longer just dependent immigrants, but play a very decisive and active role in the migration flows (Radowicz, 2021: 39). In 2020, the ratio of immigrant women to the world's female population was 3.5% and the ratio of immigrant men to the world's male population was 3.7% (United Nation, 2022). Surveys in Iran also indicate an increase in the presence of women in migration flows, including a higher percentage of intra-provincial migrations of women than men. According to the net migration in the periods of 2006-2011 and 2011-2016, Yazd province is one of the first four provinces of the country that accept immigrants and is a desirable and suitable immigration destination for both sexes (Mahmoudian & Mahmoudiani, 2018:60). This research tries to answer these basic questions: How do marginal and low-income immigrant women survive in Yazd city? Are their actions based on rationality or spiritual ? What is the trajectory of their life from the origin to the destination and how are their activities formed? In the current research, qualitative methodology and grounded theory approach with the systematic approach of Strauss and Corbin (2008) have been used. The participants in this research were selected through purposive and theoretical sampling. The inclusion criteria of the participants were as follows: they must be female and have immigration experience (independent/subordinate). In the selection of samples, an effort has been made to include diversity such as women's age, marital status, literacy level, job field and the type and reason of migration (independent-subordinate) and the diversity of the provinces of origin. In order to find reliable data, the interviews continued until data saturation was reached. In this regard, in the period from July to October 2022, with 21 women who immigrated to Yazd from different provinces of the country and the duration of their stay in this city is more than two years and they had the mentioned characteristics; the interview took place. The data collection tool in this research was a semi-structured interview. Data analysis in a consistent, orderly and continuous process led to the formation of the core category of survival from spirituality to rationality. The findings showed that origin bonds, incapacity at the origin, unlived life, fear of migration, generational gap and persistent tension have played a role in the formation of the central phenomenon of survival from spirituality to rationality as causal conditions. Among the personal and social characteristics of the participants, which have influenced the phenomenon and also influenced the strategies, are the categories of individualism, self-defeating and fatalism. In this regard, structural and macro conditions such as the lack of security at the origin, the vortex of origin, normative-hegemonic pressures against women and policy errors as interfering conditions have facilitated or limited the implementation of the strategy. Substitution of goals in children, assimilation tendencies and standing and constructive hope are the strategies that immigrant women have adopted in order to maintain survival due to the intervening conditions and background conditions affecting the phenomenon. The consequences of adopting the strategies have been transformation in the destination, fear of life in the destination, institutionalized mistrust, solidarity of poverty and misery. In the real world, due to the connection of survival with material things, humans are forced to adopt rational strategies to ensure and facilitate it. Therefore, the ever-increasing repulsions of the origin, such as the attitude changes of girls and women of the new generation, contrary to their predecessors, especially mothers, in not accepting fate and political errors in the form of unequal distribution of resources in the country and the abandonment of some platforms by the government as conditions that threaten survival and achieving It makes a good life impossible, forces women to adopt a rational way and eventually migrate for their survival and that of their children. On the other hand, women with a purely rational action, such as the mere fatalism of their predecessors, are not able to bear the harsh conditions of migration, such as breaking away from their attachments in their hometown, overcoming the fear of migration and the fears of living in a new city. Although materialism is still considered the main inducement in this path, spirituality in immigrant women with the function of generating hope and healing, reduces the psychological damage resulting from this great change, and also increases the adaptability of immigrant women and provides a support for their efforts to Ensuring and facilitating survival. Despite the increasing migration of women; There are few studies in this field. The different aspects of women's migration require more extensive research in quantitative and qualitative dimensions, especially interdisciplinary. This leads to a better understanding of the migration process of this group and the adoption of more suitable policies to facilitate their lives in the destination, and it can ultimately lead to a more appropriate integration of them by reducing the social anomalies resulting from the increasing challenges of their lives in the new city.Funding : There is no funding support. Authors’ contribution : All the authors have contributed and played a constructive role in the preparation of this research. Conflict of interest : Authors declared no conflict of interest.Key words : Women, Internal migration, Marginalization, Adaptation and survival-oriented action, Yazd city.
