Family migration decision-making, step-migration and separation: children’s experiences in European migrant worker family

Moskal, M. and Tyrell, N. (2016) Family migration decision-making, step-migration and separation: children’s experiences in European migrant worker family. Children's Geographies, 14(4), pp. 453-467. (doi: 10.1080/14733285.2015.1116683)

Abstract

Intra-European family migration has extended the realm in which families live and work in Europe. This paper joins a limited number of recent attempts to analyse family migration using a children-in-families approach [Bushin, N. 2009. Researching Family Migration Decision-Making: A Children-in-Families Approach.” Population, Space and Place, 15: 429–443]. In contrast to existing studies on this theme, our focus is on children's migration decision-making, experiences of step-migration and experiences of separation from parents during processes of intra-European family migration. Little is known about children's views and experiences of step-migration and separation from their parent(s) during family migration. Such experiences have implications for the spatial and temporal construction of family and childhood in Europe, where transnational mobility is increasing. This paper discusses children's experiences of separation in two research contexts, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, to illustrate common features of the phenomena. The paper analyses family relationships relevant to migration decisions and explains their effects on children's agency, as well as on family integrity itself.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Moskal, Dr Marta
• Authors: Moskal, M., and Tyrell, N.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Social Justice Place and Lifelong Education; College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Culture, Literacies, Inclusion & Pedagogy
• Journal Name: Children's Geographies
• Publisher: Routledge
• ISSN: 1473-3285
• ISSN (Online): 1473-3277
• Published Online: 08 December 2015
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2015 Taylor and Francis
• First Published: First published in Children's Geographies 14(4): 453-467
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher