Migrant families and intergenerational relationships: cultural challenges, renegotiation practices and social change

Abstract

International studies have confirmed the central role played by families in defining migration routes and strategies. Adopting a family perspective to view the migration phenomenon means observing the different relationships between the various components along a multi-generational temporal and relational axis. Migration experiences from one generation to another are very different, and they often underline or exacerbate generational differences. A generational approach could therefore be the leitmotiv of innovative debates in the field of contemporary migration studies. Furthermore, introducing generation as a key variable may help to understand migration processes through a broader perspective in this time of multiple crises and transformations. This contribution, which is of a theoretical nature, aims to reflect on state-of-the-art research in the field. Reviewing the most recent literature, it aims to add to the available knowledge by observing how cultural complexity, intergenerational relationships and renegotiation practices within migrant families could be regarded as empirical evidence of ongoing social change.