%0 Journal Article
%T Ce ¡°sentiment de culpabilit¨¦¡± That ¡°Guilty Feeling¡± : Emotions and Motivation in Migration and Transnational Caregiving¡¯
%A Loretta Baldassar
%J Recherches Sociologiques et Anthropologiques
%D 2010
%I Universit¨¦ Catholique de Louvain
%R 10.4000/rsa.185
%X Cet article explore l¡¯exp¨¦rience de la ¡°culpabilit¨¦¡± en tant qu¡¯¨¦motion jouant un r le moteur dans les obligations r¨¦ciproques de soin dans les relations familiales transnationales. Je pose l¡¯hypoth¨¨se qu¡¯en cr¨¦ant une s¨¦paration physique, une absence et un sentiment de manque, l¡¯acte migratoire pousse les migrants ¨¤ se sentir coupables de ne pas remplir l¡¯obligation morale de copr¨¦sence. Les migrants se sentent souvent coupables de ne pas ¨ºtre pr¨¦sents pour s¡¯occuper de leurs parents ag¨¦s ; les parents se sentent souvent coupables de ne pas participer ¨¤ la vie de leurs enfants et de leurs petits-enfants. Ce ¡°sentiment de culpabilit¨¦¡± les encourage ¨¤ ¡°rester en contact¡± aussi souvent et effectivement que possible en cr¨¦ant des occasions leur permettant d¡¯¨¦changer copr¨¦sence et don de soi. En renfor ant les relations, en exer ant une influence sur autrui, et en all¨¦geant les in¨¦galit¨¦s relationnelles, la culpabilit¨¦ peut servir au final ¨¤ renforcer et maintenir les relations de soin transnationales. Cependant, dans les relations transnationales o¨´ les devoirs sont trop lourds pour ¨ºtre remplis, les individus peuvent se d¨¦sengager du soin afin d¡¯¨¦viter des sentiments de culpabilit¨¦ accablants et fragilisants. This paper explores the experience of ¡°guilt¡± as a motivating emotion in reciprocal obligations to care in transnational kinship relations. My hypothesis is that the act of migration, by causing physical separation, absence and longing, causes migrants to feel guilty about their moral obligations to be co-present. For instance, migrants often feel guilty about not being present to look after ageing parents; similarly, parents often feel guilty about not participating in the lives of their children and especially grandchildren. This ¡°guilty feeling¡± motivates them to ¡°stay in touch¡± as often and as effectively as they can by creating opportunities in which they can exchange co-presence and share the gift of self. By strengthening relationship, by exerting influence over others, and as a mechanism for alleviating inequities in relationships, guilty may serve to strengthen and maintain transnational caregiving relationships. However, in transnational relationships where obligations are too great to be readily met, individuals may withdraw their caregiving in order to avoid overwhelming and debilitating feelings of guilt.
%U http://rsa.revues.org/185