Social Protections and Climate Migration

Service Navigation among Puerto Ricans Displaced by Hurricane Maria

Bibliographic Data

ID10550644
AuthorsJames C Hodges (0000-0003-4657-1979, School of Social Work, Boston College James C. Hodges, LCSW, is a PhD candidate, , 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, corresponding author), Maria F García (School of Social Work, Boston College Maria F. García, PhD, LMFT, is a postdoctoral fellow, , Chestnut Hill, MA, USA), J Schwartz (0000-0003-4238-9520, College of Education, University of Texas at Austin Seth J. Schwartz, PhD, is professor, , Austin, TX, USA), Michael G Vaughn (0009-0003-1189-8610, School of Social Work, Saint Louis University Michael G. Vaughn, PhD, is professor, , St. Louis, MO, USA), Mildred M Maldonado-Molina (0000-0003-1097-4338, College of Health & Human Performance, University of Florida Mildred M. Maldonado-Molina, PhD, is professor; , , Gainesville, FL, USA), Melissa Bates (College of Health & Human Performance, University of Florida Melissa Bates, MA, is project director; , , Gainesville, FL, USA), Ivonne Calderón (0009-0004-3328-529X, College of Health & Human Performance, University of Florida Ivonne Calderón, PhD, MPH, is professor, , Gainesville, FL, USA), Eric C Brown (0000-0002-2376-0497, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami Eric C. Brown, PhD, is associate professor, , Coral Gables, FL, USA), José Rodríguez (0000-0001-9265-3364, Iglesia Episcopal Jesús de Nazaret José Rodríguez, MDiv, is pastor, , Orlando, FL, USA), Christopher P Salas-Wright (0000-0001-7934-8293, Boston College)
Year2024
Volume69
Issue4
Pages347-355
Publication date2024-07-24
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Work (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0037-8046 • E-ISSN: 1545-6846
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/sw/swae036
PMID39049475
OpenAlexW4401041283
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited21

As climate change continues to displace greater numbers of people, transnational ties are important sources of social protection for climate migrants. Migrants assemble unique configurations of formal and informal social protections depending on the resources available within their sending and receiving communities. However, the specific constellations of social protections that climate migrants use following disaster and displacement remain underexamined. Authors conducted semistructured interviews with Puerto Ricans who migrated in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria (N = 41) and used qualitative content analysis to trace the assemblages of formal and informal social protections used to navigate the resettlement process. Results suggest that informal support from migrants' transnational ties was instrumental in successfully making use of formal sources of support, including federal emergency relief programs, to leave the island and resettle on the U.S. mainland. This reliance on informal social protections often strained participants' informal networks and raised questions of equity for people internally displaced by climate change. These findings highlight the need for a more equitable and effective linkage of climate migrants with public resources

Business · Criminology · Geography · Political science · Service (business · Sociology · Climate Change, Adaptation, Migration · Disaster Management and Resilience · Law · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Social Work