Everyday Practices of Translocal Families: Estonian Children and a Sense of Being-in-Place
Keywords:
Transnational families, children, migration, belonging, Estonian-Finnish transnational spaceAbstract
Drawing mainly on interview material collected among Estonian families living in Finland, the article approaches family mobility as a site for negotiation between children and adults. Individuals are analysed as members of both local and translocal networks, above all families, paying special attention to the ways in which territorial and social spaces connect to each other. The focus of the article is on the ways in which children make sense of relocation and mobility in their everyday lives, and on their understandings of translocal family practices. The article discusses the ways children reflect upon and incorporate experiences of relocation and a translocal way of life into their sense of being-in-place. While exploring the possibilities of feeling close over distances, the article analyses the challenges related to virtual intimacy and modes of communication that are specific to children.
