Parenthood practices in cross-border contexts, the case of Guatemalan men in Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

Studies of paternity usually emphasize and refer to be provider as one of the main dimensions that male heads of household participate and while little or no participation in other dimensions such as care or playful exchanges with childrens. This work aims to analyze the experience of fatherhood of some Guatemalan men who work on a daily basis in Chiapas, Mexico, either as commuters, temporary-permanent or seasonal workers. It is considered that working life, for men and their families, configures other dimensions of everyday life, such as family life, including the organization and division of domestic work, care and remunerated work, among its members, as well as ways of life together between parent-child and marital relationship. The transborder context becomes a relevant variable for molding the family transborder experiences of male respondents, highlighting the socio-economic situation of families, employment and population mobility possibilities between the two sides of the Guatemala-Mexico border.