Remittances as contributor to risk management and poverty reduction in Grenada.

摘要

A Small Island Developing States (SIDS) viewpoint is underrepresented in the existing migration literature. That perspective is necessary because SIDS geography creates a unique set of social and economic circumstances that predisposes small states to high vulnerability to external shock from environmental events and influences emigrant decision making. Like other SIDS, Grenada is characterized by small land mass, small population, limited opportunities for productive labor, and limited resources to support a range of highly functioning modern institutions. This has resulted in high levels of emigration and a pattern of circularity as Grenadian households make rational decisions to manage risk and foster economic development. These emigrants view the extended work field as a space with opportunities for building skill and wealth, and gaining an education and diverse, cosmopolitan experiences. Family members working abroad, and those who remain at home become a transnational household. Expanding beyond conventional push/pull migration analysis, this dissertation posits a SIDS perspective from a triangulation of The New Economics of Labor Migration (Stark and Bloom 1985) and the theories of circulation and cumulative causation (Myrdal 1957). Through surveys, interviews, and document review, a study of a random sample of 118 households found that remittances increased in response to threats, as households deliberately positioned themselves to have "someone on the outside" as a risk management strategy. The study found that circulation enabled households to build wealth and sustainable livelihoods and to adequately care for the elderly and children. When this arrangement failed, families suffered and stagnated as social protection systems were unable to fill the gap.