This interdisciplinary symposium aims to explore the relationship between migration, care and intersecting inequalities within the post-pandemic geopolitical landscape of immobility regimes, crisis-driven displacement, care deficits and ageing populations. The symposium will reflect on how paid and unpaid caring arrangements are shaped by intersecting inequalities in diverse migration and transnational contexts. We are interested in papers that address caring practices across the lifecourse, intersectionality and inequalities in access to formal care and social protection globally.
We invite papers (to be presented in person) that address the following themes (but are also open to other related topics):
- ‘Proximate’ and ‘distant’ intergenerational care in transnational families
- Paid and unpaid care and intersecting social differences and inequalities (gender, race, ethnicity, disability/ chronic illness, ageing, socio-economic status, legal status, multilingualism, education and so on)
- Children’s and young people’s caring responsibilities in diverse migration contexts
- (Im-)mobility and care regimes and differential welfare entitlements and rights
- Forced transnationality, agency and social protection among refugees and asylum seekers
- Language brokering, literacy mediation and access to support
- Care ethics and cross-cultural understandings of care, wellbeing, health and illness
- Methodological and ethical approaches to researching caring relations, migrant/transnational family lives and inequalities
These highly politicised and emotive issues pose key challenges and dilemmas for policymakers, practitioners and family members, as well as researchers and academics interested in transnational migration, care and social protection.
In addition to in person paper presentations, the Symposium will include:
- Transnational ageing: theorising digital kinning and the multi-directionality of care: Keynote lecture by Professor Loretta Baldassar, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia (hybrid – online access available)
- Intergenerational Care, Inequalities and Wellbeing among Transnational Families in Europe: Plenary presenting key findings of the ‘Transnational Families in Europe research project, led by Professor Ruth Evans, University of Reading and Dr. Rosa Mas Giralt, University of Leeds. The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with leading academics, practitioners and policymakers (hybrid – online access available).
A selection of papers presented at the Symposium will be included in an Edited Collection (open access) on Care, Inequalities and Wellbeing across Generations in Transnational Families.
Registration
Registration fee (includes lunch and refreshments): £30
A small number of bursaries are available for postgraduates and practitioners (please provide details of expected travel costs when enquiring about this). Contact: r.evans@reading.ac.uk.
Abstract submission
Please send your paper title and abstract (maximum of 250 words), with author(s), email address and affiliations, by 8 April 2024 to Jodie Ellis (j.ellis2@reading.ac.uk).
Please also indicate if you wish your paper to be considered for the Edited Collection on Care, Inequalities and Wellbeing across Generations in Transnational Families.
Further information
Contact: Ruth Evans: r.evans@reading.ac.uk