Practices of intimacy in transnational families: care circulation and the re-appropriation of the tension between geographical distance and emotional proximity

Merla, Laura [UCL]

In this paper I consider practices of care circulation (Baldassar & Merla, 2014) as “practices of intimacy” (Jamieson 2011) that can be understood, in a transnational context, as mediums for the (re)appropriation of the tension between geographical distance and emotional closeness. This hypothesis is further explored through the mobilisation of a conceptual framework located at the intersection between social sciences and psychology, developed in collaboration with François & Janssen (Merla et al. 2014), which interrogates the dialectical relations between geographical distance and social ties.  I will discuss in particular how technological, cultural-normative, institutional and relational contexts contribute to influence people’s perception of geographical distance as an obstacle – or as a facilitator – for the maintenance of intimate relations.