Kraków, 3-4 June 2016
Institute of Sociology, Jagiellonian University in Kraków
The presence of families in migration streams is a crucial topic of the political, social and public debates. As researchers, scholars and practitioners witnessing the lives of migrant families, we have both the power and obligation to contribute to a salient discussion on important social issues.
This call for papers has been inspired by two strands of research interests. Our first and most evident inspiration originates from our work and cooperation within the research project - Doing family in transnational context. Demographic choices, welfare adaptations, school integration and every-day life of Polish families living in Polish-Norwegian transnationality (Transfam) which has been led by the Institute of Sociology, Jagiellonian University between 2013 and 2016. Our second broader aim responds to the current European migration crisis.
We call for investigations of migrant families in the European free movement space, on the one hand and the studies dedicated to families of refugees in Fortress Europe, on the other hand. We are interested in examining social, cultural, political and national repercussions of both types of mobility processes and in a way ask which lessons learnt from the context of Transnational Families in Europe (Conference Strand 1) can be reappraised and useful for the growing urgency for research and policies pertaining to Refugee Families and Politics in Fortress Europe (Conference Strand 2). In addition, we seek to bring together scholars interested in the dynamics and changes within transnational families in Europe, especially in the Polish context.
Strand 1 Transnational Families in Europe
Within the first strand dedicated to transnational families, we invite proposals addressing the following issues:
- Intra-European transnational families (with a special focus on Polish-Norwegian transnationality);
- Settlement choices, integration, capital and everyday family practices in transnational families;
- “Doing family” through gender and transnational lens;
- Migrant children/migrant parents: education, children’s experiences of growing up transnationally, migrants’ belonging;
- Transnational and migrant families in the inequality nexus (gendered experiences of migration, LGBT families, monoparental families, migration and social class junction, implications of political/legal status);
- Receiving states’ responses to migrant families and communities (policies, integration) with a special emphasis on the post-2004 destination countries of Poles;
- Intergenerational ties, gender and transnational dimensions of family life, e.g. household obligations, care and reconciliation of work and family in migrant biographies;
- Global families.
Strand 2 Refugee Families and Politics in Fortress Europe
For the second strand we seek proposals on refugees, asylum-seekers, forced migration and experiences of the third-country nationals in the EU, specifically inviting researchers, activists and governmental representatives to a round table and panel discussions. We particularly welcome scholars and practitioners working in the following areas:
- Events related to the current migration crisis through the eyes of refugee families;
- Violence and discrimination experiences of refugees in an intersectional perspective – listening to the voices of various social actors: children, women, men, elderly, people with disabilities etc.);
- Families and the European refugee politics – the present legal frameworks, legal/institutional regulatory mechanisms, human rights;
- Refugee families from the perspective of the non-governmental stakeholders – responses and first-had experiences of NGOs, voluntary workers, activists, as well as other formal and informal networks’ members; attitudes, behaviors and practices towards refugees and asylum seekers on the local, national and European levels;
- Conceptualizations and discourses – a figure of stranger/ a newcomer, the challenged meaning of “an economic migrant”, a symbolic use of “refugee child(ren)” images.
Confirmed conference keynote speakers are:
- Anne White (UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies
- Rhacel Salazar Parreñas (University of Southern California)
To participate please submit a 250-300 words abstract of your presentation by e-mail to
The conference will be held in Kraków on June 3rd (Friday) and 4th (Saturday) 2016. Details concerning the venue will follow shortly.
Conference fees:
Professors, academic staff with affiliation: 70 euro / 300 PLN PhD candidates, students, non-affiliated young scholars, NGO employees, practitioners: 35 euro / 150 PLN
Fees include conference participation, opening dinner, lunch and coffee breaks. We are also offering five fee waivers for those with no capacity to pay the fee from personal resources and further lack institutional backing. Please contact us at
Further information including conference registration can be found on the website: www.transfam.socjologia.uj.edu.pl
Scientific Committee: Krystyna Slany (Jagiellonian University), Krystyna Iglicka (Center for International Relations), Randi Wærdahl (Agder Research), Lihong Huang (NOVA – Norwegian Social Research, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences), Magdalena Ślusarczyk (Jagiellonian University), Paula Pustułka (Jagiellonian University), Justyna Struzik (Jagiellonian University)
Conference Coordinator: Justyna Struzik,
Organizer: Institute of Sociology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
Co-organizers and partners: Committee for Migration Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences Jagiellonian Centre for Migration Studies Centre for International Relations Agder Research NOVA (Norwegian Social Research), Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences