Within migration research, ‘transnationalism’ or the adjective ‘transnational’ are widely used terms to refer to all kinds of connections between migrants and their places of origin (Pries 2010). This indistinct use led to researchers warning about transnationalism becoming a ‘catch-all and say-nothing’ term (Pries 2007). Indeed, no agreement seems to exist so far about its conceptual implications or empirical peculiarities (Lee 2011; Vertovec 2004a). The conceptual confusion urges scholars to reflect upon its use and application in this specific area of investigation, namely, older family members within the context of transnational migration. Therefore, this chapter first outlines the significance of a transnational perspective in migration research and provides an overview of the conceptualizations and theoretical debates surrounding the concept of transnationalism. Second, it introduces the concept of transnational families as a way of describing and analysing the border-crossing experiences and practices explored in this research.

Transnationalism

Glick Schiller and her colleagues (1992) were among the first to theorize about transnational migration and the concept of transnationalism. In their seminal work, they define ‘transnationalism’ as ‘the process by which transmigrants, through their daily activities, forge and sustain multi-stranded social, economic and political relations that link together their societies of origin and settlement’ (Basch et al. 1994: 6). Thus, instead of gradually adapting to the host society and cutting ties with the country of origin as assumed by the integration/ assimilation paradigm, transmigrants ‘develop and sustain multiple relations – familial, economic, social, organizational, religious, and political – that span borders’ (Glick Schiller et al. 1992: IX). Through ceaseless back-and-forth movement, transmigrants seem to manage to be present in two or more nation states and be able to make use of the economic, political and social opportunities arising from such pluri-local lives (Portes & DeWind 2004). Soon, an extensive debate flared up among migration scholars on the significance and theoretical rigor of transnationalism and the relabelling of immigrants as transmigrants, which will not be reproduced in detail here. Still, some of the merits and shortcomings of a transnational approach to migration are elaborated upon below.