Doing family across borders: role of routine practices, traditions and feasts in Lithuania

Abstract

The research aim is to identify practices dedicated for strengthening family relationships, practices that are typical to the multi-local families with members across borders. The relevance of the topic is conditioned by the following factors: (a) diversity of family formation and daily life spread in the beginning of twenty first century encourage search for alternative family definitions and research methods; (b) theoretical approach on family practices and doing family suggests alternatives for the conceptualization of multi-local families; (c) lack of knowledge on family practices of multi-local families. Theoretical approaches of family practices (Morgan, 1996; 2011), doing family (Smart, 2007), family networks (Widmer, 2006; 2010; Jallinoja & Widmer, 2011) applied in the research. Empirical analysis is based on two databases – data of representative quantitative survey and data of quota survey. Quantitative survey represent adult Lithuanian population. Persons with various migration experiences selected in quota surveys. Both surveys carried out in Lithuania between June-October, 2018 within the national research project “Global migration and Lithuanian family: family practices, circulation of care and return strategies”. Family practices like daily routine, traditions and feasts explored. The research results reveal that various family practices differently influence relationships among significant persons assigned as family members. Though, the same family practices effect differently relationships within networks’ of persons who have (direct or indirect) migration experience and who not. Finally, persons with migration experience have less common practices with Ego, though existing family practices are more intensive.