The Social Impacts of seasonal migration on left-behind children: An exploratory study from Lifuka, Tonga

Moala-Tupou, Lupe

The Social Impacts of seasonal migration on left-behind children: An exploratory study from Lifuka, Tonga

dc.contributor.advisor	Roskruge, Matthew James
dc.contributor.author	Moala-Tupou, Lupe
dc.date.accessioned	2016-08-31T21:24:20Z
dc.date.available	2016-08-31T21:24:20Z
dc.date.issued	2016
dc.date.updated	2016-03-18T02:27:32Z
dc.description.abstract	There is a dearth of knowledge about the social impacts of seasonal migration on children left behind in Tonga and Pacific countries more generally. The economic benefits of remittances on families have been studied quite extensively but the social costs and benefits have not been the subject of much inquiry. This exploratory study in a Tongan village setting seeks to better understand children who are left behind and who are being affected by lengthy absences of older family members when they are employed as seasonal workers in the horticulture and viticulture industries of New Zealand and Australia. Three main questions are addressed. Firstly, how do community leaders, teachers, parents and the children themselves perceive the impacts on the children left behind by older family members when they are working overseas? Social impacts on children are examined with reference to health, education, social and religious participation. Secondly, how do the social impacts vary by gender and age of the children? Finally, what, if any, coping strategies are used or are being planned to mitigate the social impacts of seasonal migration overseas on teenage children? The data that was collected to address these questions came from three major sources: i) informal talanoa, ii) semi-structured interviews iii) and focus group discussions held in Lifuka, Ha’apai, Tonga. This study revealed that children left behind in Tonga experience both positive and negative impacts on their education, health, social and religious participation when their mother/father or older siblings are working overseas. Seasonal workers’ earnings raise household incomes and assist with paying children’s school fees and other financial needs at school, improving access to health and church services through the purchasing of cars for transportation, and providing new clothes for children especially for special occasions. Children affected by migration faced several challenges including suffering from loneliness, fear and sadness as a result of the absence of parents and sometimes experienced abuse in the communities. There can also be problems with diet, school performance, and permission to participate in social activities, especially young girls going out at night. Girls and boys face different challenges as a result of the absence of parents and older siblings, as do younger children. The main coping strategy is accessing support from teachers and other community leaders, but there needs to be more research on both impacts and strategies before definitive conclusions can be drawn.
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf
dc.identifier.citation	Moala-Tupou, L. (2016). The Social Impacts of seasonal migration on left-behind children: An exploratory study from Lifuka, Tonga (Thesis, Master of Social Sciences (MSocSc)). University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10289/10614	en
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10289/10614
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher	University of Waikato
dc.rights	All items in Research Commons are provided for private study and research purposes and are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
dc.subject	seasonal migration
dc.subject	left-behind children
dc.subject	Tonga
dc.subject	social impacts
dc.subject	education
dc.subject	religious participation
dc.subject	social participation
dc.title	The Social Impacts of seasonal migration on left-behind children: An exploratory study from Lifuka, Tonga
dc.type	Thesis
pubs.place-of-publication	Hamilton, New Zealand
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Waikato
thesis.degree.level	Masters
thesis.degree.name	Master of Social Sciences (MSocSc)