The DOI matches its Crossref record; 7 of the 7 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
“Is Granny Going Back into the Computer?”: Visits and the Familial Politics of Seeing and Being Seen in South African Transnational Families
Abstract
Migration is an increasingly common feature of life globally. This article discusses visits in South African transnational families of diverse origins, exploring the importance and meaning of physical co-presence by examining the role of visits in delivering mutual ‘visibility’ – the ability to see and be seen – when family members meet in person. The data come from a qualitative project exploring South African transnational family relationships, and particularly, differences between the experiences of those who migrate and of those left behind. ‘Outward’, ‘return’ and ‘reunion’ visits are considered. One element visits had in common was excitement linked to the planning of the visit and actual visit, but there was also some ambivalence and underlying sadness, because visits provide only a temporary experience of physical co-presence. The multiple meanings attached to visits have implications for how family and care relationships are understood in the contemporary globalised world. Future research should consider the complexities of relationships and care through the transnational family lifecycle.
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By engaging in transnational migration, grandparents can reunite physically with migrant descendants, including their young grandchildren.
“By engaging in transnational migration, grandparents can reunite physically with migrant descendants, including their young grandchildren (Marchetti-Mercer et al. Reference Marchetti-Mercer, Swartz and Baldassar2021; Zhou Reference Zhou2013).”
From Transnational grandparent migration and care-giving: a systematic scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as Marchetti-Mercer et al. 2021
Migrant grandparents maintain intergenerational solidarity within migrant families, building strong relationships with grandchildren, children and affines with whom they may share caring roles.
“Apart from promoting kin-keeping back in the homeland, migrant grandparents also maintain intergenerational solidarity within migrant families, building strong relationships with grandchildren, children and affines with whom they may share caring roles (Hărăguş and Ionuţ Reference Hărăguş and Ionuţ2020; Kintominas and Hamilton Reference Kintominas and Hamilton2019; Marchetti-Mercer et al. Re”
From Transnational grandparent migration and care-giving: a systematic scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as Marchetti-Mercer et al. 2021
Intergenerational tensions involve grandparents' (attempted) authoritarian interventions in their children's lives.
“grandparents’ (attempted) authoritarian interventions in their children’s lives (Marchetti-Mercer et al. Reference Marchetti-Mercer, Swartz and Baldassar2021; Ran and Liu Reference Ran and Liu2021; Tezcan Reference Tezcan2021)”
From Transnational grandparent migration and care-giving: a systematic scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as Marchetti-Mercer et al. 2021
Financial constraints are one of the factors affecting African grandparents' ability to visit their transnational families.
“Marchetti-Mercer et al. (Reference Marchetti-Mercer, Swartz and Baldassar2021) identified financial constraints as one of the factors affecting African grandparents’ ability to visit their transnational families.”
From Transnational grandparent migration and care-giving: a systematic scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as Marchetti-Mercer et al. 2021
Diminished autonomy results from greater dependence on adult children for financial support, housing, and the social and practical dimensions of daily life.
“Diminished autonomy results from greater dependence on adult children for financial support, housing, and the social and practical dimensions of daily life, such as shopping and attending medical appointments and community and religious gatherings (King et al. Reference King, Cela, Fokkema and Vullnetari2014; Marchetti-Mercer et al. Reference Marchetti-Mercer, Swartz and Baldassar2021; Shankar”
From Transnational grandparent migration and care-giving: a systematic scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as Marchetti-Mercer et al. 2021
Citations
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Self-citationAmbient co-presence: transnational family practices in polymedia environments
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“A number of researchers have examined the role of technology in maintaining relationships in migrant families (see, for example, MarchettiMercer 2007a, 2007b, 2008, 2016; Horst 2006; Madianou 2016; Wilding 2006; Marchetti-Mercer (2012a, 2012b, 2016, 2017).”
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Transnational grandparent migration and care-giving: a systematic scoping review
Nguyen, H. T., Stevens, C., & Baldassar, L. (2025) · Ageing and Society · doi:10.1017/s0144686x24000436 · Cited by 14
Self-citation
Metadata
- Authors
- Marchetti-Mercer, M., Swartz, L., & Baldassar, L.
- Affiliations
- Department of Psychology, School of Human and Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Stellenbosch University (ZA)
- The University of Western Australia (AU)
- Venue
- Journal of Intercultural Studies
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2021-06-24
- Volume
- 42
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 423-439
- ISSN
- 0725-6868 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-9540
- OpenAlex
- W3174632090
- Cited by
- 10
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1
- FWCI
- 2.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Intercultural Studies (publishedVersion)
- UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Research Foundation of South Africa (HSD180420323178)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Demography › Diaspora, migration, transnational identity
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Migration and Labor Dynamics
- Keywords
- transnational families, family visits, visibility, migration, return visits, family relationships, care relationships, South Africa, migration experience
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