Migration and relationship power among Mexican women.
Our study drew on original data collected in Durham, NC, and four sending communities in Mexico to examine differences in women's relationship power that are associated with migration and residence in the United States. We analyzed the personal, relationship, and social resources that condition the association between migration and women's power and the usefulness of the Relationship Control Scale (RCS) for capturing these effects. We found support for perspectives that emphasize that migration may simultaneously mitigate and reinforce gender inequities. Relative to their nonmigrant peers, Mexican women in the United States average higher emotional consonance with their partners, but lower relationship control and sexual negotiation power. Methodologically, we found that the RCS is internally valid and useful for measuring the impact of resources on women's power. However, the scale appears to combine diverse dimensions of relationship power that were differentially related to migration in our study.
Department of Sociology, Duke University, Box 90088, Durham, NC 27708-0088, USA. eparrado@soc.duke.edu
Emilio A
EA
Parrado
Chenoa A
CA
Flippen
Chris
C
McQuiston
D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003657:Decision Making; D004522:Educational Status; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000193:education / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009657:North Carolina; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011209:Power, Psychological; D012737:Sex Factors; D012930:Social Dominance; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014930:Women / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D014933:Women's Rights / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data