‘She’s Like Family’: transnational Filipino families, voluntary kin and the circulation of care

Abstract

Increased mobility has affected transnational families’ organization and provision of care. Focusing on the experiences of Filipino nurses in Norway, this article emphasizes how support structures in the Philippines and Norway affect the provision of care within transnational families. By applying the care circulation framework, this article sheds light on the complexity of transnational caregiving and draws attention to how the provision of care is a multidirectional process that relies on a range of actors. It looks at migrants not only as providers of care but simultaneously as receivers of care. The literature on transnational families has helped broaden the definition of the family to include inter- and intra-generational relationships beyond the nuclear family, including a growing recognition of the role of kin-like relationships. This article supports this broader definition of family and highlights the importance of kin-like relationships. Considering the increased impact of ‘migration regimes’ on the experiences of migrants, attention is paid to the challenges created by distance and by national policies and to their effects on the way care is provided within transnational families.