Montero-Sieburth, M., Mas Giralt, R., García-Arjona, N. and Eguren, J. (eds.). Family practices in migration. Everyday lives and relationships. New York: Routledge, 2021

Abstract

This collective volume is a result of the activities implemented by the former IMISCOE (International Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion Network) Standing Committee on Migrant Families, Children and Youth, between 2014 and 2019. The publication starts with the idea that “migration is fundamentally a family affair”, although specific research did not emerge until the 1980s. The authors are aware of the urgent need for migration literature on the topic. In the introduction dedicated to “Family practices in migration: everyday lives and relationships”, Montero-Sieburth and Mas Giralt explain the premises for this book. The authors have made some basic theoretical choices to establish a common ground for their work. First, they decided to work on “migrant family” instead of “transnational family” to articulate local and transnational family practices in different receiving and sending contexts. Second, they focused on child- and youth-centred perspectives, to avoid a traditional adult-centred perspective on family structures. They also considered the social dynamics between family and non-family members. The aim of this publication is to highlight the influence of “doing family” on the migration trajectories and im/mobilities of family members.