Reproduction and Representations of Family Among Malian Migrants in Paris, France

Southern Methodist University, Dallas TX

Investigators

Abstract

Immigrants in the contemporary world are faced with significant problems of identity, since modern technology facilitates a transnational existence with ties in both current and original cultures. A major issue faced by migrants is adjusting their desired family size to their new circumstances. Traditional societies stressed large numbers of children while modern societies have a reduced vision of a reasonable family size. This research by an anthropologist and a historical demographer studies how Malian immigrants to Paris restructure and negotiate their identities as parents. Within the family men and women face contradictory pressures. Biomedical messages promoting fertility control, Islam, and French immigration policy have generated conflicting responses of accommodation and resistance resulting in marital conflicts over family size and composition. Men oppose contraception, citing Islamic doctrine, while women justify contraceptive use based on fatigue, sickness and economic security. This research on Malian immigrants in Paris will examine the role of Islam in shaping migrant responses to fertility control messages. The project will trace Malian representations of appropriate family size and shape over the past three decades, focusing on the role of village associations in France mediating between family in France and West Africa. Systematic sampling of migrants will be done in sites of village and community associations, workers' hostels and health services in Paris districts with substantial African populations. Structured interviews with 180 women and men over a two-year period will be carried out. Hypotheses will be tested relating immigration policy and different reproductive strategies of men and women. The research will contribute to the anthropological understanding of the politics of reproduction, documenting the local and global processes implicated in reproductive relations of Malians in France. By focusing on men's and women's objectives and preferences, the research will provide insights into how reproductive goals are shared, contested, and how transnational linkages shape family organization.