Varshets – ‘The Town of Badante Women’ – 13 Years Later (Migration Impact upon Families Left Behind)
Varshets – ‘The Town of Badante Women’ – 13 Years Later (Migration Impact upon Families Left Behind)
Author(s): Julia PopchevaSubject(s): Anthropology, Social Sciences, Sociology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Culture and social structure , Migration Studies
Published by: Институт за етнология и фолклористика с Етнографски музей при БАН
Keywords: badante, female mobility; labour mobility; left behind family; spouse left behind
Summary/Abstract: In 2010, a documentary about female labour migration called ‘The Town of Badante Women’ was released. Focusing on the town of Varshets and villages nearby, the study discussed the significant migratory flow and lives of separated families in one of the poorest regions in the country – Northwestern Bulgaria. In 2023, after the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and more than two decades after female mobilities towards Italy started, a new survey was conducted in Varshets. The paper reveals the current social structure in the town and how these mobilities have influenced the public and private lives of its citizens. The changes during the 2020s are broadly discussed. The primary methodology includes ethnographic research on the spot – in-depth interviews, informal conversations and observations.
Journal: Between the Worlds
- Issue Year: 5/2023
- Issue No: 5
- Page Range: 160- 175
- Page Count: 16
- Language: English
