Parents who migrate without their children: Gendered and psychosocial reconfigurations of parenting in transnational families

Abstract

What psychosocial impacts does migrating without children have on parents? How do the reconfigurations of gendered dynamics in transnational families (TFs) affect the well-being and subjectivities of mothers and fathers in the hosting and sending communities? Through this literature meta-synthesis, we describe six main areas of concern for parents who migrate without their children: (a) migration and family roles; (b) affects; (c) negotiations of gender, subjectivity, and family expectations; (d) family cohesion, tensions, and arrangements; (e) communication and the digital relational space; and (f) narratives on family reunification. We discuss the ways in which these areas and processes interact with each other within and around TFs. This article contributes to theories on family transnationality and transnational parenting by identifying and discussing specific dynamics of change and possibilities of becoming, which will be helpful to professionals working with TFs and to migrant parents to understand and anticipate likely family challenges.