Family, Boundaries and Transformation. The International Mobility of Professionals and Their Families

Abstract

Two dominant images of migrant professionals, also known as “expats”, have long been common, in the social sciences: on the one hand, they were described as super-mobile individuals, who easily move between places with no time frame in mind, with the openness to engage with diversity; on the other hand, more recent studies challenged the idea of “expat” cosmopolitanism, and investigated the boundaries constituted by these people in the course of their everyday life. The present paper brings to the fore the complexity of these individuals’ and their families’ experiences of international mobility from a combined socio-cultural psychological and sociological perspective. We draw on qualitative research conducted in Switzerland in order to reflect on the role of family in the way these people make sense of diversity across time and space, make and un-make symbolic boundaries between themselves and others, and understand their own and their familiars' transformation.

Migration Motives, Timing, and Outcomes of Internationally Mobile Couples

“…King-O'Riain 2015) and/or of very specific groups of migrants (e.g. highly skilled expatriates; Cangia et al 2018). In addition, such research is mainly restricted to migration from particular regions or countries of origin to particular regions or countries of destination (e.g.…”

Love in motion: Migration patterns of internationally mobile couples

“…The results of this qualitative research suggest that the trailing wife phenomenon and its theoretical explanations are a general feature of couples' migration regardless of internal moves or international, crossborder mobility. However, these analyses rely mostly on interviews of a small number of migrants (e.g., King-O'Riain, 2016) and/or of a very specific group of migrants (e.g., highly skilled expatriates; Cangià, Levitan, & Zittoun, 2018). In addition, such research often relies on migration from a certain region or country of origin to a certain region or country of destination (e.g., Kõu, van Wissen, van Dijk, & Bailey, 2015;Mayes & Koshy, 2018;Schmalzbauer, 2009;Willis & Yeoh, 2000).…”

Perceptions of Returnees Concerning Their Rehabilitation and Reinstatement in Swat District, Pakistan: An Evaluative Study

“…Displacement affects the social life of people. Family and friends' lives play a vital role in constructing socio-cultural and emotional boundaries between self and others (Cangià et al, 2018). Subjective well-being is highly influenced by family relations and social networks (Setiadi & Hidayah, 2021).…”