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Lost in transnationalism: unraveling the conceptualisation of families and personal life through a transnational gaze

Lost in transnationalism: unraveling the conceptualisation of families and personal life through a transnational gaze
Lost in transnationalism: unraveling the conceptualisation of families and personal life through a transnational gaze
This paper compares and contrasts some of the conceptual language used to engage with the realm of family and personal life within the parallel fields of transnational family studies (TFS) and British family studies (BFS). Key concepts which are now widely referenced within BFS - such as 'family practices', 'family display', 'families of choice' and 'connectedness' - have not been widely drawn upon within TFS. Instead, TFS scholars are developing alternative concepts such as 'ways of being' versus 'ways of belonging' and 'frontiering and relativising', often to capture very similar ideas to those current within BFS. This paper critically explores some of the concepts currently being used within transnational family studies, highlighting points of similarity and difference with the BFS tradition, and considers what these parallel literatures might learn from each other. The paper is illustrated by examples drawn from ESRC-funded research on the experiences of post-accession Polish migrants living in the UK.
transnationalism, polish migration, family practices, family display, connectedness
1360-7804
Heath, Sue
f4df85b4-fdde-4353-8641-08a4b9fbbcae
McGhee, Derek
63b8ae1e-8a71-470c-b780-2f0a95631902
Trevena, Paulina
ea357454-39d9-4065-a4c7-8f77fed75760
Heath, Sue
f4df85b4-fdde-4353-8641-08a4b9fbbcae
McGhee, Derek
63b8ae1e-8a71-470c-b780-2f0a95631902
Trevena, Paulina
ea357454-39d9-4065-a4c7-8f77fed75760

Heath, Sue, McGhee, Derek and Trevena, Paulina (2011) Lost in transnationalism: unraveling the conceptualisation of families and personal life through a transnational gaze. Sociological Research Online, 16 (4). (doi:10.5153/sro.2534).

Record type: Article

Abstract

This paper compares and contrasts some of the conceptual language used to engage with the realm of family and personal life within the parallel fields of transnational family studies (TFS) and British family studies (BFS). Key concepts which are now widely referenced within BFS - such as 'family practices', 'family display', 'families of choice' and 'connectedness' - have not been widely drawn upon within TFS. Instead, TFS scholars are developing alternative concepts such as 'ways of being' versus 'ways of belonging' and 'frontiering and relativising', often to capture very similar ideas to those current within BFS. This paper critically explores some of the concepts currently being used within transnational family studies, highlighting points of similarity and difference with the BFS tradition, and considers what these parallel literatures might learn from each other. The paper is illustrated by examples drawn from ESRC-funded research on the experiences of post-accession Polish migrants living in the UK.

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Published date: 30 November 2011
Keywords: transnationalism, polish migration, family practices, family display, connectedness
Organisations: Sociology, Social Policy & Criminology

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 336485
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/336485
ISSN: 1360-7804
PURE UUID: 8bc8b2a9-3b18-4a5d-8b8e-58224607c5b5
ORCID for Derek McGhee: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3226-6300

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Date deposited: 28 Mar 2012 09:03
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 10:43

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Contributors

Author: Sue Heath
Author: Derek McGhee ORCID iD
Author: Paulina Trevena

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