Transnational Families

Baldassar, Loretta [UWA] Kilkey, Majella [University of Sheffield] Merla, Laura [UCL] Wilding, Raelene [La Trobe University]

Transnational families, while not new, are a rapidly increasing family form. Moreover, they challenge our traditional methodological and theoretical conceptualisations of family life. The dramatic increase in mobility and the revolution in modes of travel and communication across distance have made it imperative for family studies to examine the impact of processes of migration and, more specifically, distance and separation, on family relationships. In contrast to the past, migratory moves and other forms of family mobility today are more likely to be characterised by regular and frequent communication and linkages between sending and receiving areas, giving rise to conceptualisations of transnational family members and global households. Through the lens of transnational family caregiving, this chapter examines these issues, including the practical and policy implications of sustaining families across time and space.