The gender-specific examination of migration decision-making and remittance behavior among Latvian emigrants

ABSTRACT

This article stems from a gender-specific examination of migration decision-making and remittance behavior as a proxy for the creation of gendered transnational spaces when faced with macro-economic challenges in Europe. The research is quantitative and includes the analysis of 2,702 Latvian migrants in receiving countries. Gendered transnational spaces for women manifest themselves in remittance behavior and are influenced more by emotional attachment; in contrast, men are more inclined to send monetary remittances. Prior supervenience stems from emigration decision-making, where economic issues, the search for opportunities, and family and education-related aspects are all relevant to men and women respectively.

KEYWORDS:

• Latvia
• economic crisis
• emigration motives
• remittances

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the ERDF under grant 1.1.1.2/VIAA/1/16/184 and National Research Program Project under grant No.VPP-IZM-2018/1 0015. The authors would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers and language editor Jenny Money for their helpful suggestions.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund post-doctoral project [1.1.1.2/VIAA/1/16/184]; State Research Program Project DEMOMIG [No.VPP-IZM-2018/1-0015.].

Notes on contributors

Guido Sechi

Guido Sechi is a researcher at the Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences. He has experience in data analysis and modeling for applied research projects in the field of social sustainability, migration, urban, and regional development.

Zaiga Krišjāne

Zaiga Krišjāne is a Professor of Geography and Dean of the Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences at the University of Latvia. She has extensive research experience at the national and EU level in the field of migration studies, urban and population geography.

Her research expertise focuses on issues linked with human geography: migration, residential mobility, and urban change.

Māris Bērziņš

Dr. Māris Bērziņš is an Assistant Professor of Geography at the Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences at the University of Latvia. His research and expertise focus on migration, residential mobility, and urban change. His research interests include migrant groups, return migration, suburbanization, residential segregation, and neighborhood change.

Elīna Apsīte-Beriņa

Dr. Elīna Apsīte-Beriņa holds a post-doctoral research position at the Department of Human Geography, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences at the University of Latvia. Her thesis was devoted to the research of Latvian migrants to the United Kingdom, where she created and used an internet survey as a tool for data gathering.