Female transnationalism: beyond family ties

Journal title MONDI MIGRANTI
Author/s Deborah De Luca
Publishing Year 2014 Issue 2014/2
Language Italian Pages 23 P. 129-151 File size 86 KB
DOI 10.3280/MM2014-002007
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The increased focus on women migration and on transnational families is likely to make us forget that there are other ways to live transnational and that women could play an important role in the development of various types of ties with their country of origin. The objective of this work is to explore the ways of living of 28 transnational immigrant women entrepreneurs. The presence of transnational families is very limited and the role, while important, that the family plays in the lives of these women is concentrated in the host country. The transnational activity, however, is mainly of an economic nature and linked to the company. The company also benefits from the different cultural background of the owner. Some companies, in fact, arise from the desire to take advantage of their different cultural background, turning their passions and skills in economic activity that can be aimed both at fellow citizens, enabling them to find a family and traditional atmosphere, and Italians who wish to experience tastes and traditions different from their own. In addition, attention to the country of origin is also visible in the social engagement which also moves parallel on two fronts: that of the host society and the one of society of origin. While, therefore, there is a desire to help other immigrants to deal with the daily problems that arise in the Italian context, on the other hand develops afterwards the wish to do something for those who remained in the country of origin. In this case, visibility, contacts and skills acquired in the course of the business are of particular importance and facilitate the success of transnational projects.

Keywords: Transnationalism, Female entrepreneurship, Family, Cultural engagement, Social engagement.

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Deborah De Luca, Transnazionalismo al femminile oltre i legami familiari in "MONDI MIGRANTI" 2/2014, pp 129-151, DOI: 10.3280/MM2014-002007