Immigrant women in Barcelona: coping with the consequences of transnational lives
Abstract
One of the obvious effects of transnationalism is the geographical dispersal and fragmentation of families. Few scholars have looked at this aspect in depth, beyond a mere recognition of the existence of so-called transnational kinship groups. Fewer studies still have considered the implications of transnationalism for women, even though they represent a growing percentage of the migrant population world-wide. The aims of this article are threefold. First, to show the key role that women play in the maintenance of their families and transnational groups; attention is paid to their contribution to the interlocking spheres of productive work, kin work and caring work. Second, to draw attention to the differentiation of transnational practices among two different migrant groups. Third, to spell out some of the consequences that the transnationalisation of social life has for migrant women and their families. These considerations are based on an analysis of the everyday experiences of Moroccan and Filipino women residing in the Southern European city of Barcelona.
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The literature on transnational families has shifted from viewing the family as a bounded geographical unit to viewing it as a social unit that can be maintained across distance and national boundaries.
“The perspective of the literature on transnational families has shifted from one of seeing the family as a bounded geographical unit to that of envisaging it as a social unit that can be maintained across distance and national boundaries (Bryceson and Vuorela 2002;Zontini 2004).”
From Navigating transnational childcare relationships: migrant parents and their children's caregivers in the origin country (2017) · cites this paper as Zontini 2004
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- Authors
- Zontini, E.
- Corresponding author
- Zontini, Elisabetta
- ORCID
- Zontini, Elisabetta
- Venue
- Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2004-11
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1113-1144
- ISSN
- 1369-183X (ISSN-L)
- 1469-9451
- OpenAlex
- W1967245570
- Cited by
- 151
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 13.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (publishedVersion)
- Florence Research (University of Florence) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Demography › Diaspora, migration, transnational identity
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Migration and Labor Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Demography › Migration, Aging, and Tourism Studies
- Keywords
- immigrant women, transnationalism, transnational kinship, family fragmentation, Moroccan immigrants, Filipino migrants, care work, productive work, Barcelona
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