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Everyday Practices of Living in Multiple Places and Mobilities: Transnational, Transregional, and Intra-Communal Multi-Local Families

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Family Life in an Age of Migration and Mobility

Part of the book series: Migration, Diasporas and Citizenship ((MDC))

Abstract

Schier’s analyses—based on empirical findings on intra-communal, transregional, and transnational multi-local middle-class families in Germany-contribute to linking the research strands on transnational and multi-local families. The chapter starts with a comprehensive discussion of research on spatially scattered families. Presenting her own empirical findings, Schier draws attention to five challenges common to diverse forms of multi-local family organisation—regardless of scale, conditions of development, and family structure. Nevertheless, the comparison of intra-communal, transregional, and transnational multi-local families uncovers the significance of multiple situatedness across diverse spatial levels. Research results call for further research on the significance of multiple territorial involvements, different patterns of spacing and timing, and the relevance of different family structures to the performance of multi-local daily family life.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Methodological territorialism refers to the unquestioned assumption that nation-states, regions, locales, or households constitute self-enclosed and autonomous geographical containers of social, economic, and politico-cultural relations (for critiques on this principle see Pries 2009; Wimmer and Glick Schiller 2002).

  2. 2.

    The five family arrangements span the following countries: Austria and Germany; Germany, Israel, Brazil, and other countries; Germany and Spain; Germany and various Central Asian countries; Germany, Switzerland, and Spain.

  3. 3.

    The author is indebted to Tino Schlinzig for assisting with the construction of Figs. 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3.

  4. 4.

    European Commission: Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion, http://ec.europa.eu/social/.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. German Youth Institute (DJI), Munich, Germany

    Michaela Schier

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  1. Michaela Schier
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Correspondence to Michaela Schier .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom

    Majella Kilkey

  2. Department of Gender Studies, University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany

    Ewa Palenga-Möllenbeck

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Schier, M. (2016). Everyday Practices of Living in Multiple Places and Mobilities: Transnational, Transregional, and Intra-Communal Multi-Local Families. In: Kilkey, M., Palenga-Möllenbeck, E. (eds) Family Life in an Age of Migration and Mobility. Migration, Diasporas and Citizenship. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-52099-9_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-52099-9_3

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-52097-5

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