Negotiating Masculinity Through Remittances

Female migrant workers from Indonesia contribute to material welfare and also influence gender relations with left-behind husbands and the distribution of symbolic capital in migrant households. The study is based on Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of capital and symbolic power and explores the renegotiation and reconstitution of traditional gender roles in everyday practices of migrant households. The study used qualitative approaches, mainly in-depth interviews with left-behind husbands, migrant families, former migrant workers, and community leaders in Indonesia. Results show that wives’ migration affects the distribution of symbolic capital among households. Their status as the primary earners increased their bargaining power within the household, while husbands maintained their symbolic position as household heads. In migrant families, gender discussions vary and are contingent on local and domestic circumstances, including cultural and social conventions, economic needs, and family structures that span national borders. This study recommends the formulation of gender-sensitive migrant protection policies and the strengthening of familial roles to foster fair relationships.

Diaspora, migration, transnational identity · Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics · Migration and Labor Dynamics