Migrating Within “the Gender-equal Nordic Region”: Icelandic Migrants in Norway and the Gendered Division of Work and Care

• Published in: NORA - Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research
• Main Authors: Guðjónsdóttir, Guðbjört, Skaptadóttir, Unnur Dís
• Other Authors: Félags- og mannvísindadeild (HÍ), Faculty of Social and Human Sciences (UI), Félagsvísindasvið (HÍ), School of Social Sciences (UI), Háskóli Íslands, University of Iceland
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Informa UK Limited 2017
• Subjects: Gender Studies; Anthropology; Migration studies; Division of labour; Transnational families; Iceland; Norway; Kynjafræði; Mannfræði; Fólksflutningar (félagsfræði); Innflytjendur; Mannafli; Kynhlutverk; Lífskjör; Fjölmenning
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/583; https://doi.org/10.1080/08038740.2017.1337363

Migration is a gendered process that shapes the lives of men and women differently, because they generally occupy dissimilar positions within the household, the labour market and society. This article examines gender and migration within a Nordic context, between two countries that are often presented as gender equal in cross-national comparisons. The focus is on how the gendered division of labour is manifested in the experiences of Icelanders who migrated to Norway in the wake of the Icelandic financial crisis of October 2008. The results are based on interviews with people who migrated to Norway both with and without their families. In our analysis, we show how the gender-segregated labour market and gender norms lead to different positions and opportunities for men and women at times of economic crisis and migration. For study participants who migrated with their families, the relocation was often organized around the labour-market position and opportunities of men. Those who migrated without their families emphasized their roles as providers for their families. However, only the women described how their absence was perceived as a failure to fulfil childcare responsibilities. The findings highlight the resilience of the notions of men as providers and women as primary parents within “the gender-equal Nordic region”, and indicate how these roles may facilitate or discourage the migration of men and women. The research received doctoral grants from the University of Iceland Research Fund and the Icelandic Centre for Research (Rannís) (grant number 174347-051), and a grant from the Memorial Fund of Eðvarð Sigurðsson. The study is part of the research project Icelandic Identity in Crisis, funded by the Icelandic Centre for Research (grant number 130426-051). Peer Reviewed