European Network for Multi-Locality Studies

Call for papers: Multi-Locality and Work-Life-Reconciliation

2nd meeting European Network for Multi-Locality Studies

24/25 May 2018
Prague, Institute of Sociology/Czech Academy of Sciences

There is no conference fee.

Mobility is perceived as a positive phenomenon for social cohesion and economic development (e.g. European Parliament 2006). However, current research reveals the complex relation between mobility and social life. Numerous studies identify diverse practices of doing family under the conditions of jobrelated multi-locality, such as long-distance relationships, weekend marriages, weekly commuters, transnational families and others.

For our 2nd network meeting we invite especially contributions related to following aspects:

Economic migration and multi-locality – transnational migration and multi-local family arrangements
The European Union’s support of spatial mobility, motivated by specific needs of European labor markets, has resulted in an increase of migrant inflows. Currently, most migrants in the European Union (EU) are non-EU nationals (Eurostat 2017). Transnational migration poses questions about family life and social cohesion in local contexts. In the context of migrant families, a growing number of researchers conceptualize migrants and their kin as transnational families (Baldassar/Merla 2014). A series of recent studies has focused on the role that state policies and international regulations play in facilitating or hindering family solidarity across borders (Kilkey/Merla 2013).

21st century labour markets, working conditions and requirements: multi-local living arrangements and impact on intimate and family life
Numerous studies articulate the ambivalent consequences of work-related multi-locality for social contacts, partnerships, and family life (Roehling/Bultman 2002, Bonnet et al. 2008), others focus on place attachment, multiple place relations, and constructions of being at home among people performing work-related multi-locality (van der Klis 2009). The gendered nature of job-related multi-local living arrangements of families (Collet/Dauber 2010) as well as their implications for the division of household responsibilities are also explored in this research field (Bergström/Casinowsky 2013).

Timing and spacing of everyday life in multi-local families and partnerships
The residential multi-locality perspective shows that the conduct of everyday family life under mobile and multi-local conditions requires maintaining specific permanent arrangements. Managing recurrent mobility, various strategies to cope with the constant change of physical presence and absence of the job-mobile family members; and diverse ways of designing the “choreography” of family life (Duchêne-Lacroix 2009, Schier 2014).

Methodological considerations and strategies for multi-locality research
As multi-local everyday life questions the territorially fixed either/or, research requires methodological approaches on social relationships and practices that integrates several locations (Schier/Schlinzig/Montanari 2015). Multi-local integration and identification, interdependences and different forms of mobility make it necessary to break with territorially fixed concepts, samples and methods as e.g. Marcus (1995) suggests, introducing a multi-sited approach by following multiplysituated family members, their practices, connections, associations and relationships across space. Social dynamics force the social sciences to find both suitable qualitative and quantitative methods.

Deadline for Submissions: 15 March 2017

Abstracts of about 150 words (plus references) are submitted to:
Dr. Lenka Formánková (Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague), lenka.formankova@soc.cas.cz
Dr. Cédric Duchêne-Lacroix (University of Basel), c.duchene@unibas.ch
Dr. Tino Schlinzig (Dresden University of Technology), tino.schlinzig@tu-dresden.de

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