Exploring the migration process in women who migrate as children and those who migrate as adults. A multiple case study

Abstract

The migration process of women is conditioned by a variety of obstacles and threats, such as gender. Therefore, this study begins with the contextualisation of the reality of these women in relation to the moment in which they migrated, comparing cases in which this process takes place during childhood or during adulthood. Consequently, the aim of this study was to analyse the differences and similarities of the migration process and its impact on the social adaptation of migrants, depending on the time of life at which migration takes place (childhood/adolescence versus adulthood). The methodology used is framed within the interpretative paradigm, following an eminently qualitative methodological approach using the collective case study technique. The sample consisted of eight migrant women selected through a purposive process, whose ages ranged from 21 to 60 years old. A semi-structured interview was used to collect the data and content analysis was used for its interpretation. The results obtained have allowed us to explore the women's experiences of their migration process, taking into account the differences in the country of origin and host country and the psychological processes involved in this process by comparing women who have completed their studies in the country of origin and who migrated as adults (n=3), and women who migrated as children and even adolescents, and who have gone on to study in the host country (n=5).