June 16-17, 2025

Universidade Católica Portuguesa

Deadline: April 27/May 14, 2025

International Conference and Working Group Meeting – COST Action TraFaDy

Globalisation and migratory flows have profoundly reshaped contemporary societies, prompting challenges and opportunities for individuals, families and organisations. In this context, transnational dynamics and relationships have become striking phenomena, associated with complex processes of autonomisation, co-dependence, intergenerational solidarity, connection and the construction of intercultural identities (Baykara-Krumme & Fokkema, 2019; Bryceson & Vuorela, 2002; Cienfuegos et al., 2023).

Our digital world, while enabling further interactions, the reinvention of relationships, and new ways of being present, also brings with it the risks associated with the spread of misinformation and ambivalent dynamics with digital tools (Baldassar et al., 2016; Smets et al., 2020). All the above seriously impact relationships within families and therefore merit analysis in various fields.

Therefore, despite the increase in the mobility and circulation of people and goods, there are also challenges to family/relational fragmentation of interest to transdisciplinary studies in the Social Sciences and the Humanities, particularly in the areas of Psychology, Cultural Studies, Communication and Social Work.

This event, which combines a meeting of Working Group 4 of the TraFady COST Action and a conference, aims to promote theoretical approaches, training, and capacity building. To this end, we are opening a call for presentations including, but not limited to the following topics:

• Cultural representations of migration and transnational relationships

• Transnational Family Dynamics

• National and international migration

• Social policies for the family

• Social policies for migration

• Digital practices for wellbeing in a transnational context

• Media literacy and information in transnational and migratory contexts

• Relationship between work and migration

• Brain Drain and its impact

• Intergenerational solidarity

• Artistic responses to migration and translational relationships

• The role of cultural and artistic expressions in health and wellbeing in transnational settings

• The impact of technology and communication

• Environmental migration

• Cultural adaptation

• The emotional impact of migration

• The emotional impact of family separation

The event will include:

• Keynote Lectures (to be confirmed);

• Workshop on the role of the media in the integration and well-being of transnational families;

• Paper sessions (subject to submission);

• Round table with community agents working with migrants in Portugal;

• Meetings and training for WG4 of COST Action TraFaDy (members-only event).

Organising Committee:
Barros, Carlos – Chair | Borges Tavares, Sandra | Costa Ramalho, Susana | Jesus, Antonela | Lindemann Lino, Verena.

Scientific Committee:
Aguiar, Joyce (CIPES/U. Porto) | Araújo, Emília (U. Minho) | Backström, Bárbara (U. Aberta) | Barros, Carlos (UCP) | Borges Tavares, Sandra (UCP) | Carneiro Pinto, Joana (UCP) | Costa Ramalho, Susana (UCP) | Emirhafizović, Mirza (U. Sarajevo) | Espada Vieira, Inês (UCP) | Ganito, Carla (UCP) | Gaspar, Augusta (UCP) | Gomes Esteves, Francisco (UCP) | Guerra, Inês (UCP) | Haagsman, Karlijn (Maastricht U.) | Hanenberg, Peter (UCP) | Jesus, Antonela (UCP) | Lindemann Lino, Verena (UCP) | Rebelo Pinto, Helena (UCP) | Schrooten, Mieke (Odisee U.) | Telegdi Csetri, Viorela (Babes Bolyai U.)

How to submit:
Please fill in the following form link, including title, three to five keywords, an abstract (between 250 and 350 words), as well as references in APA 7 format.

Submission of papers – Important deadlines:

• Early Submission: until 27th April (23h59, GMT+1); communication of acceptance of proposals – by 4th May (23h59, GMT+1); Conference registration/confirmation - by 9th May (23h59, GMT+1)

• Late Submission: until 14th May (23h59, GMT+1); communication of acceptance of proposals – by 18th May (23h59, GMT+1); Conference registration/confirmation - by 21st May (23h59, GMT+1)

Fees and grants:

• The conference is free but requires submission before the dates set above. Registration for members of the audience will take place at a later stage.

• A grant is available to support travel to the meeting + conference (this includes the daily allowance and flight support) for Action COST TraFaDy members. There are 26 grants available for early submissions only. Should any grants remain after this period, they will be allocated to late submissions. For all funding inquiries, members of Action COST TraFaDy should contact the local COST organiser and co-leader of the group, Carlos Barros, at cbarros@ucp.pt. For all other queries, please contact us at connectedlivesconference@gmail.com.

References:
Baldassar, L., Nedelcu, M., Merla, L., & Wilding, R. (2016). ICT-based co-presence in transnational families and communities: Challenging the premise of face-to-face proximity in sustaining relationships. Global Networks, 16(2), 133-144. https://doi.org/10.1111/glob.12108

Baykara-Krumme, H., & Fokkema, T. (2019). The impact of migration on intergenerational solidarity types. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 45(10), 1707-1727. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2018.1485203

Bryceson, D., & Vuorela, U. (Eds.). (2002). The transnational family: New european frontiers and global networks (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003087205

Cienfuegos, J., Brandhorst, R., & Bryceson, F.B. (Eds.). (2023). Handbook of transnational families around the world. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15278-8

Smets, K., Leurs, K., Georgiou, M., Witteborn, S., & Gajjala, R. (2020). The SAGE Handbook of Media and Migration. SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526476982