Unpacking Education as Migration Driver among Young Jordanian Women: A Study on Gender, Agency, and Sociocultural Transformations in Jordan

Authors

  • Ivana Cosmano University of Leeds Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24847/v11i22024.388

Abstract

This paper explores young Jordanian women’s desire to migrate, uncovering often-unacknowledged factors influencing their decision to leave their home country. By delving into their dreams, aspirations, and expectations, this research uncovers why they firmly aspire and creatively plan to migrate, shedding light on the intricate interplay of agency and gender in shaping their migration choices. It theorizes that these women employ a co-optation strategy, whereby they reinterpret and leverage the inner meaning(s) of gendered expectations regarding education, to facilitate their journey abroad and enact more desired life trajectories. This paper argues that young Jordanian women’s desire to migrate stems from shifting sociocultural values and norms, mirroring evolving understandings of femininity, gender roles, and social hierarchies. Within this framework, migration emerges as a consequence of the country’s inability to address its young population’s aspirations for change. By addressing these dynamics, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the underlying drivers behind the migration aspirations of a significant segment of Jordan’s youth—a pressing issue the country is facing. Ultimately, the insights offer a valuable perspective on migration as a lens through which ongoing sociocultural transformations can be comprehended.

Author Biography

  • Ivana Cosmano, University of Leeds

    Ivana Cosmano is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Leeds (UK), specializing in Middle East gender, youth, and family studies. Her research focuses on analyzing sociocultural change within contemporary Middle Eastern societies, with a particular emphasis on Arab youth agency in disrupting hegemonic gender norms and catalyzing transformative personal and societal shifts. She holds a PhD from the AIMES Department at the University of Leeds, which was funded by the LCS Award for Excellence, and boasts extensive research and teaching experience in the UK and Jordanian academic settings. She is currently working on a monograph exploring how young educated Jordanian women and men are redefining gender norms and boundaries to mold their envisioned society.

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Published

2024-07-23

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 2 (2024): Special Issue: Children and Youth Migrants in Middle East and North African History

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2024 Ivana Cosmano (Author)

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