Structure and headship of northern border homes in the last decade

Abstract

The objective of this study was to describe the trends in household structure and female headship on the northern border of Mexico between 2000 and 2010, as well as the changes in their demographic profiles. There were three relevant trends: the increase in single person households, the slight decrease in extended households and the rise in female headship. These trends indicate the intersection of complex structural and conjunctural processes. On the one hand, population aging is an ongoing process, and the cultural processes linked to the value of individual autonomy versus familial altruism continue advancing as seen by the rise in men living alone and women heading households. On the other hand, conjunctural processes such as the economic crises and the recent migratory and security policies of the United States have influenced the reduction of internal immigration to the border and the increase of return migration from this country, which in turn have contributed to modifying the composition of border households.

Keywords

• Hogares unipersonales
• jefatura femenina
• migración interna
• migración de retorno
• divorcio.