The Absent Presence: Sociological Reflections On Fatherless Families In High-Migration Areas Of AJK

Abstract

This study examines the socio-emotional and structural transformations within families left behind by international labor migrants in District Poonch, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Drawing on qualitative data from 30 in-depth interviews with mothers, adolescents, and community informants, the research explored the phenomenon of fatherless families in high-migration settings. While remittances contribute to enhanced material conditions, the emotional[1] and social costs of paternal absence are noteworthy. Fathers remain symbolically present through financial support, but physically absent from everyday responsibilities like caregiving, moral guidance, and emotional bonding. This absence reconfigures gender roles, overburdens female caregivers, and produces emotional stress, especially among youth. Current study introduced the concept of the absent presence to capture the duality of economic support and emotional distance that defines transnational fatherhood in Poonch. Findings highlighted the need for policy frameworks that address not just the economic, but also the familial and psychological dimensions of migration. This research contributes to a growing body of sociological literature on transnational families in the Global South.