Family
and kinship in
he con empo a y
mobile wo ld
Ma zia G assi
15.
358 ambiguous inclusions: inside ou , ou side in
in oduc ion
The aim o his chap e is o e lec on mobili y, amily, and kinship be ween
A ica and Eu ope. Mobili y p oduces changes in ins i u ions and in he li e
o indi iduals in di e en o ms aking in o accoun he social, his o ical, and
cul u al o ganisa ion, as well as he de elopmen le el o he socie ies unde
analysis.
A he same ime, i he amily seems o emain a undamen al base o
social o ganisa ion, we canno ind a uni e sal de ini ion o amily accep ed
as a socio-an h opological concep . The e a e many easons o his. Fi s ,
he s uc u al and unc ional o ganisa ion is di e en a ound he wo ld;
second, he e is a big di e ence also in he o ms o app oaching and sol ing
p oblems and con lic s inside he amily; and inally, he di e en me hods
used by Sociologis s, An h opologis s, and o he esea che s in s udying his
analy ical uni make consensus di icul .
Despi e he exis ence o inc easingly es ic i e mig a ion policies,
mig a o y lows om A ica o Eu ope con inue o be signi ican . Indi iduals
a e o en unable o mo e oge he wi h hei amily and li e geog aphically
sepa a ed om hei amily membe s. The mig an amilies a ising om he
mig a ion o i s membe s poses changing dynamics ega ding conjugali y and
he ca e o child en and olde membe s o he amily.
The economic and inancial c isis ha hi he so-called mo e de eloped
coun ies has changed he easons o people mo ing om one coun y
o ano he and changed he di ec ion o human mobili y. In he younge
gene a ions, ime ou side he coun y o o igin no only appea s di e si ied
bu also no longe seems an excep ional pe iod in which he luggage ha
an indi idual b ings is binding o impedes new expe iences. The pe iod o
mig a ion is inc easingly pe cei ed as a pe iod o “s and by”, in ended o be
expe ienced h ough o he o ms o li ing, wo king and socialising. Tempo a y
mobili y can lead o suscep ibili y o he up u e o common sense – his is o
hink and eel abou human mobili y as a social ac in Du kheim’s sense. People
mo e o many easons; he new mobili y has some imes li le o no hing o do
wi h he economic mig a ions s udied by he sociology o classical mig a ions.
The e is also a kind o immobili y some ace h ough di e en kinds o c isis
a ound he globe, depending on ma e ial means o mo e a ound.
S udying social change in amily ela ionships and compa ing cul u al
dynamics and geog aphical and poli ical con ex s wi h he mobili y
amily and kinship in con empo a y mobile wo ld 359
app oach con ibu es o unde s anding he dynamics o social inse ion o
ma ginalisa ion o amily membe s de ined by hei gende , social ca ego y,
and e hnici y in an in e sec ional way. Besides, his app oach allows he
mobile amily o be unde s ood as an o ganisa ional concep o con empo a y
mul icul u al socie y.
The empi ical case s udies e e ed o in his pape ha e o be seen as a
con ibu ion o he deba e on he di e ences be ween mig a ion and mobili y
as ope a i e concep s when s udying he changes in conjugali y, pa en ing and
ca e. Th ough hese empi ical cases, i is possible o ques ion no only he ole
o he cul u e in he o ganisa ion o he amily bu , mos ly, he e ec s o he
amily a dis ance on exclusion om o inclusion in he access o esou ces o
he membe s o he amily.
A e summing up he s a e o he a and me hodology o his esea ch
p og amme, I will summa ise he discussion o a consis en and con ex ualised
da abase on amily, mobili y, and kinship dynamics (conjugali y, pa en hood
and ca e) in he na ional/ ansna ional mobile spaces be ween Angola, Cape
Ve de, and Po ugal.
All he esea ch p ojec s e e ed o in his pape ha e been conduc ed in
collabo a ion wi h a eam o junio esea che s and a e pa o a wide esea ch
p og amme and esea ch led aining o he “T ansna ional Li es, Mobili y
and Gende ” Resea ch G oup ha has been ac i e since 2010 in he scope
o a ne wo k wi h he same name, unde my coo dina ion a ics-ulisboa
(see: www. lne wo k.ics.ul.p ). The esea ch g oup is pa o he Li e cou se,
Inequali y & Solida i y: P ac ices and Policies Resea ch Labo a o y.
amily, mig a ion, and mobili y
An impo an concep ual dis inc ion exis s be ween he mig a o y phenomenon,
and mobili y e en i , acco ding o some au ho s, mobili y includes no only
longs anding mig a ion bu also long- ime e i o ial mo emen , wi h all o
hem ha ing almos exclusi ely economic easons (Peixo o 2001). Pe haps he
insis ence on ci cumsc ibing he phenomenon o his de ini ion o mig a ion
does no help he unde s anding o con empo a y ansna ional mobili y. In
my opinion his app oach, as well as he sole pos colonial app oach o he
analysis o mig a ion om palop in Po ugal, is esponsible o he almos
absen deba e in he Po uguese academy on he di e ence be ween mig a ion
360 ambiguous inclusions: inside ou , ou side in
and mobili y, in pa icula when he lows a e be ween he o me Po uguese
colonies and Po ugal.
Acco ding o some au ho s, he e m “mig a ion” seems o su e om
wo c i ical p oblems. Fi s , i has de eloped in o a pejo a i e e m wi h a
ange o nega i e conno a ions ha end o associa e mo emen wi h c iminal
ac i i y and sees mos mo e s as isky, ques ionable people. Second, and mo e
impo an ly, mig a ion does no ully cap u e he dynamic na u e o human
mobili y (Cohen and Si keci 2011; G assi 2006). Many au ho s also ag ee ha
mig a ion has o be s udied as a “p ocess” se in mo ion h ough jou neys
back and o h, and o en wi h no clea end (Ve o ec 2007).
Con empo a y mobili y cap u es his a iabili y. People mo e o many
easons and c oss in e na ional bo de s no only and always o s ic ly
economic easons bu also o cul u al, ecological, poli ical and eligious
ones. Indi iduals and hei amilies ha e he igh o mo e o achie e hei
goals; bu o be able o mo e, some indi iduals ha e es ic ions and canno
suppo he cos s ha mo ing om one place o ano he implies a many
le els. Fu he mo e, i is impo an o emembe ha he majo i y o people
in he wo ld ne e mo e. Acco ding o Je ey H. Cohen and Ib ahim Si keci,
in he con empo a y wo ld “only a iny ac ion, ha is 3% o people li e
in a coun y o he han he one in which hey we e bo n. (…) Only hose
who a e able, capable and esou ce ul mo e. Mobili y is abou abili y despi e
he ac ha many people ace challenges a home and ou deba e should
ocus on how bes we can enhance he s eng hs o mo e s, po en ial mo e s
and non-mo e s a he han demagogue y and ea ” (Cohen and Si keci
2001, 2).
In mig a ion s udies, as well as in media and poli ics discou se, he majo i y
o au ho s de ine immig a ion as a p oblem. The pe o ma i e po en ial o he
discou se in he li e a u e o mig a ion s udies and i s in luence on he policy
p oposals is he main eason why i is impo an o change he language and
he way o s udy human mobili y. Social and inancial emi ances a e jus a
esul o he mobili y ha has con ibu ed o human de elopmen h oughou
he wo ld ( Os aijen 2017).
Since he 90s, esea ch has add essed he li es o mig an s wi h ega d o
ei he hei coun y o o igin o hei coun y o des ina ion, and has ocused
mos ly on changes o he indi idual and/o hei amily in he medium e m.
O he a ge s o esea ch ha e been ins i u ions ( Lubkemann 2008), pa hs
o de elopmen , and he ede ini ion o eelings o belonging o he mul iple
amily and kinship in con empo a y mobile wo ld 361
“homes”, no only om he geog aphical poin o iew (G assi 2010; Vi e 2010),
bu also he spi i ual (Le y 2002) and cul u al ones (Appadu ai 2006).
Schola s ag ee ha he ansna ional li es o mig an s demand cons an
e o mula ion o he sense o belonging as a meaning o he places whe e hey
li e, wo k, and o ganise hei amily li e.
The esea ch on changes in amily s udies, which has a ge ed gende issues
as impo an o unde s and inclusion/exclusion o indi iduals om esou ces,
mos ly s esses he ulne abili y o women in ela ion o men, e en i he e
is eme ging esea ch on masculini y ha o en e e s only o wes e n wo ld
se ings (Pina-Cab al 2010). The e o e, he posi ion o he ac o s explains
he no ma i e challenge posed in es o ing h ough his amewo k. As
con empo a y s udies ha e shown, he es o a ion o e hnog aphic echniques
o con empo a y sociology is c ucial in iden i ying he indica o o he ongoing
social change and may be achie ed h ough e e ences o heo ies pu o wa d
by he Chicago School (Sassen 2001; Vianello 2006).
I we a e minded o de-colonise he in e p e a ion o da a on ace, gende , and
gene a ion, mos ly s ill nodding o luso- opical de ini ions, in unde s anding
con empo a y social change in he geog aphical con ex s e e ed o in his
pape , he esul s o my esea ch poin o he po en ial o in e sec ionali y
be ween he pos colonial heo y amewo k, he ansna ional and global
app oach, and me hodological con ibu ions also no limi ed o no ma i e
disciplina y models, wi h he compa ison being a c ucial ool o he da a
analysis (G assi 2017, 15-23).
pa en hood and he mobile amily
The e m “pa en hood” was no e y common un il he 1980s, when many
esea che s s a ed o s udy he p ocess o ansi ion owa ds pa en ing
– mainly wi h ega d o women. The e m a ose in he 1950s in he usa
(E ikson 1950) in s udies on se e e psychia ic pa hologies, “pue pe al
psychosis”, in o de o emphasise ha he concep o pa en ing e e s o
a complex p ocess in ol ing conscious and unconscious le els o men al
unc ioning.
I is only ecen ly ha he e ha e been s udies on a he hood, in he
ju idical ins i u ionalisa ion o pa en al esponsibili y in he case o sepa a ion
o di o ce o he pa en s, mos ly in Wes e n socie ies.

362 ambiguous inclusions: inside ou , ou side in
When one o he pa en s is geog aphically sepa a ed om hei child en
because o mig a ion o ano he coun y o ano he ci y, i seems e en mo e
necessa y o e lec on he di e ence be ween he subjec i e expe ience o
pa en hood, he exe cise o pa en al powe , and on i s p ac ices.
Acco ding o Palko i z e al. (2002, 2), “people who become pa en s and
a e in ol ed in he aising o child en a e ans o med and ollow a di e en
de elopmen al ajec o y om people who do no engage in pa en ing oles.”
E ikson (1950, 130) sugges ed ha “posi i e adul de elopmen e lec s
ca e o he nex gene a ion, o “gene a i i y,” and ha pa en hood is “ he i s ,
and o many, he p ime gene a i e encoun e ”. Pa en hood has been desc ibed
as a necessa y bu no su icien condi ion o he achie emen o gene a i i y
(Sna ey, e al. 1987). Mo e ecen ly, sociologis s and psychologis s ha e
conside ed o ms o child- ea ing and he ways ha hese o ms p o oundly
a ec he li es o pa en s a many le els.
Using e hnog aphic analysis, an h opologis s e eal he sub le dynamics
ha shape child en’s socialisa ion o ad ance unde s anding o how cul u al
ideologies guide mo he s’ beha iou , econside ing exis ing de elopmen al
heo y on discipline (see Rae-Espinoza 2010, on mo he ing, child en,
socialisa ion, and p ac ices in Ecuado ). In mig a ion s udies, mos au ho s
ha e also ocused on mo he hood (see o example, Ge ais e al. 2009).
T ansna ional mig a ion s udies epo esea ch on he sepa a ion o
child en and pa en s (Pa eñas 2005; Suá ez-O ozco and Suá ez-O ozco 2001),
bu esea ch on pa en hood is also mos ly ocused on mo he hood, and mos o
he au ho s in his a ea ( Hondagneu-So elo and E nes ine 1997; Schmalzbaue
2004; Yepez 2011; Zon ini 2004; Tols oko o a 2010) assume he p imacy o he
e hnocen ic ep esen a ions o gende oles inside he amily. On he o he
hand, mo e ecen wo ks on a he ing a a dis ance (Nobles 2011; Pa eñas
2005) also ques ion he a he ’s ole and in ol emen in he child en’s educa ion.
These s udies e eal a g owing in e es in he a he - ocused pe spec i e.
The i s o he h ee axes o he concep o pa en ing (exe cise o pa en hood;
expe ience, and p ac ice) (E ikson 1950) e e s o he exe cise o a igh in i s
legal sense, a domain ha anscends indi idual subjec i i y and i s beha iou .
The igh s and du ies lie in each indi idual kinship ie.
The de ini ion o kinship exis s in all socie ies p ecisely o indi idualise
he o ganised g oups o which each membe belongs and by which hey a e
go e ned by ules o ansmission (E ikson 1950, 48). The ules (membe ship,
alliance, a ilia ion) imply igh s and obliga ions and p o ide a social space in
amily and kinship in con empo a y mobile wo ld 363
which each pe son may de elop, bu a he p ice o some cons ain . F om he
s uc u alis pe spec i e o Le i S auss, he elemen a y s uc u es o kinship
in adi ional socie ies de e mine ma iage choices. In mode n socie ies, legal
aspec s o kinship and a ilia ion de e mine he exe cise o pa en hood. A e
we wi nessing a weakening o he e olu ion o symbolic legisla ion ha can
lose i s cen al ole in o ganising socie y?
The dynamics esul ing om cul u es acing each o he change when he si e
o obse a ion al e s and when engaging in a compa ison o di e en con ex s.
Wide a ia ion in pa e ns o a he s’ in ol emen a e mig a ion sugges s
an absence o clea ules abou a he s’ esponsibili ies. In p e ious wo ks,
we ha e sough o unde s and long-dis ance a he hood and he a he -child
ela ionships in ansna ional amilies. Fo example, i is pe inen o discuss
he di ision o pa en al du ies based on es ablished gende oles (mo he as
ca egi e and a he as b ead-winne ) and how hey a e econs uc ed in he
long-dis ance con ex . Rela ional econ igu a ions induced by absence a e no
always expec ed o con olled, as oles change wi hin he amily (G assi and
Fe ei a 2016; G assi Vi e and Ma inho 2016; Nobles 2011) and conside ing
ha pa en hood is a gende ed p ocess ha adop s speci ic con ex ualised
cha ac e is ics in mobile amilies be ween A ica and Eu ope.
gende in he mobile amily
Mig an expe iences de i e om di e en ia ion e ol ing a ound he gende
unc ion and p oducing di e ing p opensi ies o mig a ion, as well as di e en
esul s be ween men and women (Boyd 2004). The i s s udies appea ing on
mig an women as ac o s isibly au onomous o males (Mo ok asic 1983)
and on emale mig a o y lows (Ko man e al. 2000) we e pa icula ly ocused
on case s udies in which he e was a majo i y o women and did no ye se
ou a concep ual amewo k on emale mig a ion (Ca ling 2005, 4). The i s
consis en analysis o gende (Chan and Radcli e 1992) highligh s ha hus
a s udies on women and mig a ion ha e es ic ed hei scope o es ablishing
he s a is ical di e ences be ween he sexes in mig a o y lows wi hou e e
subs an i ely analysing di e ences in e ms o gende (G assi 2015). These
au ho s’ esea ch indings on gende and mig a ion poin ed o examples o
a c oss-disciplina y space in which i is possible o in e change he di e ing
insigh s o each ield on his heme. The majo i y o s udies on mig a ion and
364 ambiguous inclusions: inside ou , ou side in
de elopmen seem o e lec he concep ual poin o iew ha a ibu es a
subjec s a us o women ollowing male o ms o conduc (Ca ling 2005).
Da a collec ed hus a sugges s ha when men decide o emig a e alone,
hey a ely lea e wi hou he ag eemen o he pa ne ha hey lea e behind. In
hei memo ies and wishes, such moods emain p esen , and a e ans o med
by he cul u al ole in o wo ies abou he li e s a egies o he pa ne le
behind. A ican coun ies a e speci ic in e ms o gende ole o ganisa ion in
he amily and in socie y (G assi 2003, 2007). In Po uguese A ican s udies,
pa ia chal e sions o A ican socie ies a e he mos cu en , and gende
powe ela ions a e aken o g an ed e en i hie a chies o age (senio i y,
ela ional) a e o en men ioned as mo e signi ican han hie a chies o gende
(Oye onke 2001, 48; A n ed 2007).
Also in Po uguese A ican s udies, gende app oach has been equen ly
concen a ed on women (G assi 2003, 2006, 2007; Andall 1999) wi h some
s imula ing excep ions showing ha men’s s udies on A ican coun ies mos ly
e lec powe ques ions ocused on black men’s poli ical con ol (A n ed
2007).
In a “mobile amily” app oach, male s udies lack esea ch in o cons uc ions
o masculini y. I is c ucial o look a he changes inside he conjugal and pa en al
ela ionship o unde s and how he cons uc ion p ocess o masculini y is
enego ia ed be ween man and woman in ansna ional mig a ion and how he
social ep oduc ion “in mo ion” wo ks in he con ex unde analysis. C i ical
s udies o men (Kimmel 2005) s ess ha i is impossible o ully unde s and
masculini y wi hou conside ing i s connec ion wi h amily change and
women’s change, as well as wi hou men’s p ac ices and discou ses in hei
ela ionships wi h changing eminini ies.
Anyway, gende main ains i s pe inence in unde s anding an indi idual’s
cul u e in ha i is ied o he posi ion ha women and men ake in a amily
s uc u e in a pa icula cul u e de i ing om he g ea e o lesse deg ee o
esponsibili y a ibu ed o hem o sus aining and ep oducing he amily.
Hence, s a ing ha mig a o y lows di e si y acco ding o he a iable o
mig an gende implies he exis ence o inequali ies s e ching o e he
en i e mig a o y expe ience, igh om depa u e om one’s own coun y
h ough o a i al in he hos communi y and he expe iences encoun e ed
he e. Asymme ies in powe be ween men and women p oduce di e ences
in he o ganisa ion o mig an li es and pe mea e h ough social ins i u ions,
he amily, economy, and poli ics. Gende inequali ies leading o gende ed
amily and kinship in con empo a y mobile wo ld 365
disad an ages in he des ina ion coun ies o mig a o y ajec o ies may be
linked o exploi a ion and ec ui men in o illegal a icking ne wo ks.
The o igins o mig a ion lie in a p ac ice ha , in many cases, eme ges ou
o a amily his o y o geog aphical eloca ion as a po en ial op ion, al eady
ied by o he s, discussed and held up as a cause o celeb a ion. S udies on
mig an women ca ied ou hus a in Po ugal (G assi 2003, 2007, 2015;
Helle man 2005; Peixo o 2006) epo ha women ca y he esponsibili y o
main aining links wi h he coun y o o igin, in luencing he beha iou inside
hei social ela ionships in Po ugal and ques ioning he b ead-winne ole
o man in he amily.
me hodological ema ks
The me hodology o s udying a complex hema ic has a s ong compa a i e
po en ial in all he case s udies p esen ed he e. As I ha e al eady s essed, he
goal is o cap u e he di e en ways in which indi iduals iden i y and nego ia e
ac oss powe ela ions, hei conjugali y and pa en hood s uc u ing he
con empo a y mobile con ex o he amily. This can only be achie ed h ough
compa ison be ween di e en con ex s. Mobili y and amily ela ionships a
dis ance can be compa ed, gi ing cen al impo ance o he collec ion o da a
based on di e en pa hways: mul iple loca ions; mul iple ypes o mobili y
(na ional and ansna ional bo h pas and p esen ); mul iple amily cul u es
(Eu opean and A ican); mul iple places (hos , ansi and des ina ion
coun ies); combina ion o quali a i e and quan i a i e echniques.
Mul i si ed me hodology aims o con ibu e o an epis emological shi in
mig a ion, mobili y and amily s udies. Ea lie esea ch on ansna ionalism
and mig a ions om A ican egions (G assi 2003, 2007, 2010; Vi e 2010)
poin s o gende , and amily di e ences a ec ing mig a ion in he sou ce
socie ies. The collec ion o da a in all he coun ies in ol ed by he mig a o y
lows conside ed in such esea ch ills he gap in global mig a ion s udies o
quali a i e in o ma ion in he coun ies o o igin, and ansi o mig a o y
lows.
The ele ance o he compa ison o e hnog aphic collec ion o con ex ualised
indica o s has o be s essed and iden i ied as a c ucial me hodological
amewo k ca ying epis emological consequences. This me hodology allows
o he ma king o isible speci ici ies o he cons uc ion and nego ia ion
372 ambiguous inclusions: inside ou , ou side in
Looking o mobili y and amilies, and gi en he geog aphical sepa a ion
be ween pa en s and child en in con empo a y mobili y be ween Cape
Ve de and Po ugal, i has o be conside ed ha kinship in his space is no
synonymous wi h consanguini y. Kinship e lec s a b oade concep han in
Eu opean con ex s, and mig an pa en s ha e o nego ia e hei pa en al ole,
conside ing ha pa en hood does no ha e he same meaning in Cape Ve de
and in Po ugal. This p ocess o nego ia ion can be e y ha d o manage o
immig an pa en s in dealing wi h he speci ici y o amily and mobili y in his
A ican a chipelago and in Po ugal.
Pa en hood in Cape Ve dean socie y has a e y s ong symbolic weigh
o bo h women and men. This emains ue despi e ecognising ha he
a he is no in a conjugal ela ionship wi h he child’s mo he , and li es in
ano he place. I does no imply a genuine a he hood expe ience in e ms o
p ac ices. The emo ional dis ess ela ed o pa en s li ing a a dis ance has,
he e o e, o be unde s ood in his con ex . Schola s wo king on pa en ing
and ca ing a a dis ance belie e ha main aining in ima e ela ionships
in ansna ional amilies depends on a ious ca e p ac ices in ol ing
he ci cula ion o objec s, alues, and pe sons; and ha ca e p ac ices a e
s uc u ed by geog aphical dis ance whe e he dis inc ion be ween o e seas
and o e land sepa a ion is signi ican (Lei sen and Tymczuk 2012). In
his case, he mos impo an di e ence can be he ype o ca e ha he
ansna ional mig an male pa en uses o cul i a e he ela ionship(s) wi h
his child en (ca e a a dis ance mo es h ough o mal and less o mal ma ke
channels, such as in e na ional communica ion echnologies, emi ance
companies, and anspo acili a o s, a leas in he case o middle and uppe
class amilies).
Taking in o accoun he ac ual si ua ion o he child and he amily pa ne s,
as well as he symbolic dimension o pa en ing and a ilia ion o which he
child adhe es whene e he e is pa en al ailu e, we can a i m ha amilies
con inue o be he child’s en olmen place in a genealogy and ilia ion. I is
he place whe e iden i y is cons uc ed, and whe e di e ences a ising om
o he ness, gende and gene a ion a e con on ed.
Mobile a he s and mo he s a e ac i e subjec s and bo h iden i y challenges
ega ding he exe cise o hei pa en al oles. The oles o bo h women and
men a e cul u ally expec ed and a e also cons uc ed in he socie y o which
hey mig a e. In his sense, ansna ional a he s who ha e hei child en
ca ed o by hei mo he s in he coun y o o igin, “appea less ocused on

amily and kinship in con empo a y mobile wo ld 373
challenges ela ed o he ca e o hei child en and p oblems back home, and
we e mo e ocused on wo k and wages” (A ila 2008, 169).
Fu he mo e, in he Cape Ve dean con ex , long sepa a ions be ween
biological mo he s o a he s and young child en a e socially cons uc ed as
a no mal aspec o ansna ional li es: “ hey a e a pain ul necessi y, bu a e
no au oma ically assumed o be auma ic. In an ideal si ua ion, when he
mo he is he mig an pa en , he biological mo he and he os e mo he
play complemen a y oles in wha some au ho s desc ibe as he ansna ional
os e ing iangle” (Akesson, Ca ling and D o bohm 2012). Cons uc ions o
pa en hood oles a e luid and changeable, and ha e o be enego ia ed and
ede ined in long-dis ance conjugal ela ionships.
On he o he hand, conjugal ela ionships a a dis ance – when he cause
o sepa a ion is mobili y – ask o a ede ini ion o he oles o he couple and
o he amily. The impac on hese ela ionships la gely depends on a numbe
o speci ic ci cums ances, including social posi ion, he exis ence (o no ) o
child en, he eason(s) unde lying he mig a ion, and he adap i e abili ies
o he indi iduals in ol ed. Many au ho s who see mig a ion as a h ea o
he des ina ion coun y also see ma iage and mig a ion as a angemen s
o con enience, o ced ma iage, o a icking. O he s a e mo e inclusi e
(Williams 2010; B yceson and Vuo ela 2002; Le in and T os 1999; Boyd
and G ieco 2003; Pessa and Mahle 2003; Wilding 2006; G assi 2006), and
add ess he challenges and s e eo ypes o ansna ional ma iage, desc ibing
he ways ha couples ( e)de ine hei oles, ela ionships, and amily li e as
hey lea n and li e side-by-side (P ibilsky 2004). The agg ega e amily uni
o analysis, which is mos commonly used o ob aining in o ma ion abou
indi iduals and hose hey li e wi h, was eplaced in a p e ious s udy by a
b oade concep : he agg ega e o esiden s, which enables us o include no
only amily membe s, bu also people close o hem and who eside wi h hem.
This p ojec includes he collec ion o explo a o y quali a i e da a
on in e nal mobili y in Cape Ve dean islands ha has cha ac e ised he
a chipelago in ecen yea s, using a compa able d a o in e iews in ela ion
o da a on ansna ional amilies collec ed in he des ina ion coun ies. This
is based on he obse a ion o Cape Ve deans’ mobili y, which is no limi ed
o ansna ional mig a ions. People mo e be ween islands o di e en
easons. In e nal mig a ion is expec ed o be less inancially bene icial han
in e na ional mig a ion o indi idual mig an s and hei amilies, as wages
a e ypically lowe in Cape Ve de and he e is a lack o wo k oppo uni ies.
374 ambiguous inclusions: inside ou , ou side in
Howe e , indi iduals may bene i om such mig a ion signi ican ly,
con ibu ing o di e si ica ion o li elihoods and de elopmen o he wide
economy. Resea ch on highly skilled mig an s enables a be e unde s anding
o he di e en ace s o mobile li es. Quali a i e in e iews will be compa ed
wi h he aim o unde s anding hei daily p ac ices, connec ions o he
local and global con ex , and ep esen a ions o hei mul iple “homes”. I is
impo an o unde s and how, in he mids o so many “homes”, his new space
is cons uc ed: how and in wha ways mig an s’ dwellings become ue homes
– a space imbued wi h symbolic alue, and wha epe cussions he e a e in
conjugal and pa en hood ela ionships. We in end o explo e he in luence o
na ional and cul u al gende oles inside he amily ins i u ion, in compa ison
wi h ansna ional mobili y dynamics.
The o ganisa ion o he da a analysis will ocus on he pe cep ions and
ep esen a ions o he amily a dis ance ( he economic and emo ional well-
being o amily mig an male membe ), on he ansna ional/na ional mig an
men’s pe spec i e, on Mobili y/Immobili y, and he ci izenship amewo k on
he access o esou ces in he o igin coun y, as well as he place o cul u e and he
gene a ional meaning o “home” in he a ge g oup. This will include mig an
men and women om Cape Ve de in e nally and in e na ionally (in Po ugal).
The analysis will conside gende in i s in e sec ionali y wi h gene a ion,
class, and e hnici y. We can he e o e discuss how and i he condi ion o
being mig an s makes a di e ence in hei li e ajec o ies, discussing i , in
he di e en sphe es, he e is a ep oduc ion o hei ajec o ies. Empi ical
examples esul ing om ou eam’s p e ious wo k in ecen yea s co e ed
coun ies in A ica and Eu ope (G assi 2007; 2010; Fe ei a 2011) and di e en
modes o mobili y and mig a ion can be compa ed wi h he esul s o his
p oposal, inc easing he deba e in he a ea. A he same ime, i will s imula e
discussion o he nego ia ion p ocesses and di e en ep esen a ions o adul
s a us wi hin he amily, adop ing a compa a i e me hodology among young
people o Cape Ve dean descen om collec ing da a o explo ing gende ed
amily dynamics in he Cape-Ve dean diaspo a, ac oss amily membe s.
Conside ing conjugali y and pa en hood ela ionships, and s a ing om
p e ious esul s (G assi 2010) ha show he impo ance o in e nal mig a ion
in Cape Ve de, i is impo an o e lec on how i s consequences in he
eo ganisa ion o amily ela ionships a e easily compa able o wha happens
in mobile amily si ua ions unde s udy in o he con ex s (G assi and Vi e
2015; Mazzuca o e al. 2015; G assi e al. 2016). The da a ha will be collec ed
amily and kinship in con empo a y mobile wo ld 375
should add o ou unde s anding o he amilies in his mobile con ex , which,
due o i s his o y and geog aphical posi ion, is conside ed by many au ho s as
an excellen place o discuss he o ganisa ion o socie ies and ins i u ions in
he con empo a y wo ld.
inal ema ks
Be o e a changing socie y, ela ions be ween indi iduals, and wi hin he amily,
end o o ganise hemsel es a a dis ance in di e en o ms acco ding o
con ex s. Th ough case s udies in he geog aphical a ea o Angola/Cape Ve de/
Po ugal, his chap e discusses how mig an s o ganise hei amily ela ions.
The exis ence o ansna ional amilies be ween A ica and Po ugal is
no ecen and has changed du ing he a ious his o ical pe iods and due o
he poli ical and economic dynamics in he di e en coun ies. The s ong
his o ical links be ween he o me Po uguese colonies and Po ugal pe sis
in he p oduc ion o amily and iendship ne wo ks o e lapping he ne wo ks
being o med in he new lows ollowing he luc ua ion o he economy. In
his pano ama, he no h-sou h pa adigm is challenged by he con empo a y
ansna ional di ision o labou , and his concep o de elopmen mus be
e hough . A he same ime, he pe cep ions and ep esen a ions o he colonial
memo y be ween he wo coun ies pe sis , and his is pa icula ly e iden
in amily and mig a ion s udies. The app oach p oposed he e in he s udy
o amily and mig a ion dynamics allows us o a oid cul u al essen ialisms,
highligh some di e ences in he ep esen a ions be ween he g oups and
ecognise he pe sis ence o s e eo ypes abou he amily oles o colonial
memo y in he couple and amily in con empo a y mig a o y lows. A he
same ime, i also shows ha conjugali y and pa en ing a dis ance – when
analysed as a global concep – con ibu es o a ans o ma ion in couples’ a
dis ance ela ionships ha a e e o mula ed; some imes also c ea ing space o
he empowe men o women ha do no mig a e.
The examples he e e e ed o can highligh some dynamics o indi iduals’
social inclusion and exclusion om mobili y access and o he esou ces in
hei changing amilial con ex s. Fu he mo e, hey s ess he impo ance o
enewing he dialogue be ween agency and s uc u e: a e he case s udies’
amily membe s p esen ed mo ing as ee agen s o in a manne dic a ed by
he cul u al concep o amily as a social s uc u e?
376 ambiguous inclusions: inside ou , ou side in
Finally, s udying mig a ion and con empo a y human mobili y aises
ele an heo e ical ques ions by hei in insic “poli ical epis emology”
(Ga elli and Tazzioli 2013, 1), which has become a concep ual ield
dena u alising he ca ego ies and egimes o academic knowledge. The aim
o s udying “mig a ions” is o challenge go e nmen policies by c ea ing a
p ojec inco po a ing bo h academic and go e nmen al policies. To use he
mobili y concep o s udy he changes in amily ela ionships when one o i s
membe s is li ing in ano he coun y, he pape also poin s o he necessi y o
ocusing on language as a pe o ma i e and cons i u i e dimension o eali y
by a ibu ing meanings, no ms and powe ha discipline human agencies
in o hinking, speaking and ac ing in a ce ain way (Foucaul 1994; Fishe
2003). Global amily ela ionships a e changing and he concep s “mobili y”
and “mig a ion” applied in he s udy o his social change a e no only wo
di e en wo ds o he same empi ical phenomenon bu ep esen wo di e en
ins i u ional pe cep ions, in e es s and au ho i ies, ha ing he cons i u i e
powe o be e lec ed in he poli ical dimension.
____________________________________
ma zia g assi
Ins i u o de Ciências Sociais, Uni e sidade de Lisboa
A . P o . Aníbal Be encou 9 — 1600-036 Lisboa, Po ugal
[email p o ec ed]
o cid.o g/0000-0003-0808-7879
____________________________________
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