Interrogating the dimensions of human security within the context of migration and rural livelihoods in Honduras

Abstract

ABSTRACT Security concerns, including poverty and violence, are viewed as critical factors in understanding the drivers of and experiences with internal and international migration from Honduras. Drawing on a broad definition of human security that encompasses ‘freedom from fear’ and ‘freedom from want’, in addition to insights from critical and feminist security studies, we interrogate different dimensions of human security for rural households from one region of Honduras. We include data from 248 household surveys and a qualitative activity with 60 secondary school students to explore how experiences of security influence migration decisions and outcomes from this setting. For surveyed households, we find that migration contributed to enhanced economic and emotional security among family members left behind. Fear of violence was a prominent barrier to migration rather than a motivation for migration. Additionally, educational attainment raised personal and household expectations concerning the feasibility of migration to mitigate insecurity. Overall, we find human security to be a useful framework to understand motivations for and outcomes from migration among these rural households. However, the relationship between experiences of security and migration needs to be situated in the context of broader rural livelihoods, including local economic realities and intrahousehold characteristics.