Researching the ‘new’ British mobility: conceptual frames and methodological
challenges, Professor Loretta Baldassar, Professor of Anthropology and Sociology,
University of Western Australia
In this paper I consider the ‘new’ British emigration through the lens of transnational families.
The movement of British migrants to Australia is characterised by young families who retain
strong connections to their ‘homelands’ or ‘sending societies’ through constant (virtual forms
of) communication and regular visits. Research into families spread across local and national
borders demands innovative transnational research methodologies. The experiences and
practices of such families are both emotionally intimate and geographically distant, and the
need to capture these two experiences simultaneously has meant transforming conventional
research tools into different forms. This presentation draws on the theoretical and
methodological insights from my research on the transnational caregiving relationships
between adult migrants living in Australia and their ageing parents and other kin living
overseas. This paper will focus on the strengths and limitations of this previous work and its
relevance for the study of British mobility. Three issues will be given particular attention.
Firstly, the importance of the social uses of new technologies on transnational family
relationships and the challenges of incorporating these into the study design. Secondly, the
value of care circulation and global householding as key conceptual frameworks will be
examined and thirdly, the intersections with (and relevance of) lifestyle and retirement
migration will be briefly explored.