Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology SAS
Topic
Transnational Families in Central Europe in the 21st Century
PhD. program
World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Year of admission
2025
Name of the supervisor
Mgr. Martina Wilsch, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Filozofická fakulta UK
Annotation
Families today are evolving and adapting to new challenges. With increased mobility and modern technologies, many families live apart in different countries yet maintain strong relationships and a sense of belonging (Bryceson & Vuorela, 2002; Cienfuegos-Illanes & Brandhorst, 2023). Research within this topic will focus on these families' transnational practices, including (but not limited to) caregiving and social support, economic participation, the transmission of cultural practices, communication, and the broader context of transnational circulation of care (including paid care). Depending on the researcher’s interest and chosen approach, the research project may encompass various family groups, such as Slovak families with members working abroad (e.g. care workers); families fleeing the war in Ukraine; or families of economic migrants who are increasingly settling in Slovakia. A multi-sited ethnographic approach (Marcus, 1995), participatory research methods, and reflexive approaches are encouraged, alongside applying theoretical perspectives from the anthropology of care, migration studies, gender perspectives, and feminist theories.