Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2016

Publication Title

Journal of Latino/Latin American Studies

Volume

8

Issue

2

First Page

18

Last Page

29

Abstract

Nowadays, migration in Mexico is one of the major social phenomena that has, as main pnrpose, to provide better living conditions for the families left in the place of origin and has important conseqnences for the economy, family, and health. In Yncatan, the study of migration is not a new issne bnt the research done mostly focuses on socio-cultural and socio-economical aspects, and most of the studies have been carried out on the people that leave their place of origin in search of new opportunities. Only mcently has research focused on exploring the psychological aspects of families left behind. In this context, this research seeks to understand the phenomenon of migration in its various forms: domestic, international, and return, pendulum, etc. This research also seeks to understand psychological effects, particularly in the socio- emotional development of adolescents, children of migrants. The aim of this paper is to present some of the results of a study in a mral community of north-central Yucatan, with a high presence of migration. Twenty-five Mayan descent adolescents participated. They were 16 men and 9 women between 13 to 16 years old who are sons and daughters of migrants. They lived in the community and had at least one parent working in another place. Their participation was confidential and voluntary, from a convenience sample that included people who experience parental migration situations in different ways. The study was conducted from a qualitative approach, using the phenomenological method,

through depth interviews about how they have experienced their parents' migration. The main research questions were: how does migration of parents impact the socio-emotional development of adolescents and what aspects of socio-emotional development are most affected? The main results of this research show the positive and negative influence of parental figures in the development of skills such as managing emotions, problem-solving ability, interpersonal relations, decision-making, assertiveness, and empathy. In conclusion, it is of utmost importance to stmngthen the life skills of adolescents who remain in the community to promote their health, because they are at a crucial stage of development for the acquisition of identity and the decisions about a life plan. This study emphasizes the need to work on developing these skills, considering the psychosocial environment to foster socio-emotional stability in this age group.

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