The experiences of older migrant mothers and grandmothers with intergenerational solidarity in their transnational families

Abstract

The role of grandparents in providing support to their migrant adult children is well researched within the intergenerational cross-border solidarity literature. Studies highlight the gendered care roles assumed by ‘left behind’ grandparents, usually women, who provide hands-on caregiving to their young grandchildren. However, there is limited research on the supportive economic roles of older migrant women who help ‘left behind’ families navigate economically unpredictable circumstances through remittance transfers. This article makes a contribution by exploring the economic roles of older mothers and grandmothers who participate in the international labour market as paid care workers to support their families ‘back home.’ It draws on ethnographic research with Romanian women in their late 50s and 60s in Italy. Insight is gained into the experiences with transnational care and mobility of older mothers and grandmothers. More specifically, how expectations and demands for intergenerational solidarity in their families conditions women's migration projects, including its temporalities and the distribution of economic risks and responsibilities within the transnational family.