Defining transnational families across countries and time: an analysis of academic discourse on the phenomenon between 2003 and 2023

In an increasingly globalized, digital world, the way family is conceptualized and practiced is becoming highly diversified and complex. This article investigates the evolving concept of transnational families (TNFs) and aims to elucidate the similarities and differences in how ‘transnational’ and ‘family’ are understood in the academic literature across various contexts. The study is based on an analysis of academic publications on TNF from 2003 to 2023, conducted by a multidisciplinary and multilingual team across several small and medium-sized European countries (both EU and non-EU) with diverse migration histories, family policies and family norms. The analysis reveals varying levels of interest in TNFs and diverse thematic focuses across different contexts over time. It identifies two distinct approaches to conceptualizing TNFs and notes that research continues to primarily focus on dyadic relationships, rarely delving into complex familial networks or addressing non-heteronormative family forms. This highlights the need to further reflect on the ways that globalization and superdiversity are (re)shaping traditional concepts of family and home across different contexts.