Transnational Care and Well-Being of Family Members Across Generations, Contexts and Countries: Comparative Approaches

Abstract

This Special Issue centres well-being as a primary lens for understanding transnational family life. Drawing on eight papers that employ qualitative and quantitative methods, the collection examines diverse family members, including parents, children, youth, adults, grandparents and descendants across varied transnational configurations in countries such as Poland, Moldova, Ukraine, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Ireland and Germany. The papers collectively reveal four key insights. First, well-being is multi-dimensional, encompassing social, cultural, mental and physical elements, and is relational, shaped by caregiving, support and family dynamics. Second, well-being is not merely a state of being, but is actively practised, sustained and sometimes repaired through everyday practices. Third, certain dimensions become more salient depending on developmental stage, gender and life course. Finally, political, socio-cultural and geographical contexts influence mobility, expectations and caregiving, profoundly affecting relationships and well-being in transnational families. Together, the contributions advance nuanced understandings of care, connection and flourishing across borders.