Empirical insight into the construction of hope through transnational links

Abstract

This article examines how women from Cosalá, Sinaloa, who maintain transnational links with their husbands or children in the United States, construct hope as a key resource for sustaining these relationships despite the distance. Through in-depth interviews, the women emphasized hope as an essential element in coping with the separation from their relatives. The study focuses on two main objectives: 1) to analyze under what conditions hope can be considered a resource for managing distance in transnational relationships, and 2) to identify the constituent elements of the hope of the interviewed women. The findings suggest that transnational links function as a "transnational psychosocial space," characterized by strain, violence, and helplessness. Those involved in these relationships often experience learned hopelessness or interpret their optimism as hope, which keeps them trapped in unequal relationships. In this context, hope is conceived as a relational process built through intersubjectivity between individuals. Despite physical distance, hope remains possible, as the women manage to maintain an emotional and affective connection with their relatives abroad. This phenomenon demonstrates that, while transnational links can generate difficulties, hope is a fundamental factor in their maintenance.