The impact of migration processes on rural places. Cases from the Chaco Region - Argentina.

NUSSBAUMER, BEATRIZ

Verlag Dr. Köster

Lugar: Berlin - Alemania; Año: 2004 p. 334

3-89574-547-2

Rural out-migration is an old phenomenon that currently leads to an absolute decrease of rural population in many regions of the world. Rural communities are threatened with dissolution and large areas face the risk of depopulation. The aim of this work is to analyse the economic, social and cultural impacts of out-migration on rural families and communities in marginal regions. The fieldwork was conducted in six communities located in arid and humid areas of the Chaco region in Argentina in 2002, through enquiries with 156 heads of households and 116 interviews with local agents. The results show that migration weakens the social reproduction strategies of the remnant peasant families. While remittances did not significantly contribute to household’s budgets, the withdrawal of youth led to labour shortages especially for farming activities. This not only reduced scale of farming, but also diversification of land use. In the context of deterioration of agricultural markets and public services and infrastructure, the economies of rural communities were badly affected, leading to general impoverishment and rising social inequalities. Social capital was identified as a key element in buffering this erosion; it was also affected by the work overload and sociability reduction, which weakened reciprocity exchanges and the local social network. These socio-economic changes impacted the culture/nature relationship. Knowledge, practices and traditions based on a diversified use of land are likely perishing, contributing to a disenchantment process of communities with their local contexts. In summary, out-migration, though not as a single and independent factor, has a negative impact in marginal regions such as the Argentinean Chaco. Thus, marginalisation of large areas increases the neglect of these spaces as habitats for families and cultural and biological diversity.