Growing up in transnational families. Children’s perspectives on “good childhood”

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Alexandra König; Dr. Jessica Schwittek
• Subject Area: Empirical Social Research
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 465048370

Societies have clearly defined ideas of how childhood should look like. Deviations from this “normative pattern of childhood” are devaluated, sometimes stigmatized. In Poland growing up in a family with one or both parents working abroad is currently negotiated as deviant. The scandalized public debate contrasts with the actual number of transnational families. From the perspective of childhood studies, phenomena like transnational families, which evoke heated debates, are of particular interest because they reveal the struggle about the social definition of “good childhood”. Our project takes into consideration a neglected perspective: It examines how the phenomenon is explained to children in books and, that is the main part, how children in Poland perceive and evaluate transnational family arrangements. We address this by using three interrelated approaches:A) Polish books for children about transnational families From a sociological view, books for children are a medium in which social phenomena are interpreted, represented and processed for young readers. In Poland, a small number of books deal with transnational family life. Part A of the project examines how these families are presented – as a deviation or a viable form of living. B) Children’s reception of books about transnational families in Poland From a childhood studies perspective, children are considered as creative recipients of books who interpret the content against the background of their own experiences and knowledge about “good childhood”. Part B is inspired by literary studies, focusing on the interaction between book and reader. Elementary school children (with and without transnational experience) are invited to read a book about a child in a transnational family and write a letter to this child – giving advice, articulating wishes and comments. These letters will document how children position themselves in relation to the fictional figure, identify or sympathize with them – and the presented childhood. C) Children’s conjunctive knowledge about “good childhood” What good childhood means is so much taken for granted that it rarely becomes explicit. Group discussions are a method to grasp implicit knowledge. Part C bases on group discussions with children. An extract from a book is used as a stimulus to inspire an exchange between the children about living in transnational families. The analysis aims to reveal the conjunctive knowledge of children about transnational families and “good childhood” – and differences within this age-group (e.g. with regard to social status and experiences with transnational families).Transnational families strongly connect Poland and Germany, but are rarely investigated. By the planned qualitative study, complex insights will be gained a) into the perception and evaluation of transnational families and, b) a contribution can be made to the elaboration of basic theory on the construction of childhood – from the perspective of children.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Poland
• Partner Organisation: Narodowe Centrum Nauki (NCN)
• Cooperation Partners: Professorin Dr. Dorota Michulka; Zofia Zasacka, Ph.D.