Parcel vans and the materiality of staying connected in Moldovan transnational families

Ongoing legal challenges regarding the regularisation of private van companies transporting parcels between Moldova, one of the youngest European democracies, and other EU countries, have highlighted the importance of the service’s role in Moldovan transnational life. With increased scholarly attention focused on understanding the materiality of migration and how migrants stay in touch, my research contributes to current scholarship on the material culture of migration, global mobility and transnational life by unpacking parcel-sending as an embodiment of post-departure connectedness. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in both Moldova and the UK, this thesis incorporates semi-structured interviews and case studies conducted with migrants, their families and van company employees. Building on recent literature on social remittances and the role of couriers in maintaining transnational ties, this thesis explores how the dichotomy of proximity and distance experienced by Moldovan migrants and their families left behind informs the continuing negotiation of relations between people and objects. I show how these relations are created through exchanges of parcels, looking at transnational families as ‘connected selves.’ Instead of representing a static constituent of migrant infrastructure, van companies act as important participants in supporting connectedness through emerging sending practices. In turn, these practices uncover how, similarly to the Korowai of West Papua (Stasch 2009), Moldovan transnational families create closeness through their own understanding of space-time and sensory connections. I show that, in close relation to communication technologies like Skype, parcel-sending creates co-presence, allowing these connections to persist, embodied in practices like sharing foodstuffs and redecorating dwellings. Moreover, migrants’ return visits continue to reconfigure these material connections, indicating that parcel-sending as a practice represents more than a mere ‘replacement’ of the migrant’s physical presence in the family home

Ageing and Covid-19

This volume presents a range of research approaches to the exploration of ageing during a pandemic situation. One of the first collections of its kind, it offers an array of studies employing research methodologies that lend themselves to replication in similar contexts by those seeking to understand the effects of epidemics on older people. Thematically organised, it shows how to reconcile qualitative and quantitative approaches, thus rendering them complementary, bringing together studies from around the world to offer an international perspective on ageing as it relates to an unprecedented epidemiological phenomenon. As such, it will appeal to researchers in the field of gerontology, as well as sociologists of medicine and clinicians seeking to understand the disruptive effects of the recent coronavirus outbreak on later life

Navigating the Intersections of Migration and Motherhood in Online Communities: Digital Community Mothering and Migrant Maternal Imaginaries

This thesis explores the experiences of contemporary migrant mothers in Australia, through the lens of their online communities. Facebook groups created by and for migrant mothers from particular national, ethnic or linguistic communities have proliferated in the last decade. The analysis of these groups acts as a springboard to investigate how migrant mothers in Australia experience and respond to migration and motherhood, centring on four key areas: community-building and leadership; friendship and sociality; the emotions of motherhood and migration; and migrant mothers’ maternal practices, narratives and imaginaries.Literature and concepts from three distinct fields – motherhood studies, migration research and digital sociology – inform the research. Understandings of migration are extended and troubled by highlighting the importance of maternal social connection, not simply in relation to their partners and children or to the labour market, but also between mothers. The investigation of the role of migrant maternal Facebook groups in the everyday lives of migrant mothers also extends scholarship in digital sociology by bringing feminist, matricentric (A. O'Reilly 2016) and intersectional approaches into conversation with key themes relating to belonging, mobility and connection.The thesis involved a scoping exercise which mapped Australian online migrant mother’s groups, an online survey of women ‘mothering away from home’ , and semi-structured interviews with 41 migrant mothers from ten different countries living in Sydney and Melbourne, who were members of migrant mothers’ online groups. Fifteen of the interviewees held an administrator role in their group, and the digital and emotional labour involved in managing the groups became a central theme. The migrant maternal narratives elicited across the study demonstrate the role of the digital in managing the ruptures and connections of migrant motherhood. Mothers, as both consumers and producers of digital information and community, are shown to be working to effect settlement and create belonging for themselves and others.This thesis works to bring mothers out from the shadows of migration and digital social research. In order to achieve the task of making migrant mothers visible, new concepts have been introduced, such as ‘digital community mothering’, ‘relational settlement’, ‘affective settlement’ and ‘migrant maternal imagined communities’. The groups are representations of their collective maternal imaginary, as well as mechanisms for forging ‘real’ connections

Expressing identity in crossing to the New Year: a case study of the Malaysian Chinese Reunion Dinner

This study contributes to the growing cross-cultural body of literature of globalised consumer behaviour with pecific to CCT within the discipline of consumer research addressing the consumer identity of consumption. It explores the role of social influences in explaining consumer behaviour of a specific ethnic minority group in Malaysia (i.e. the Chinese Malaysians) during the celebration of the Lunar New Year. Specifically, this study aims to investigate the consumption celebration of the Reunion Dinner through its cultural significance within the multicultural Malaysian context especially of the Chinese Malaysian. Its objectives are to explore the ritual of the consumption, beyond the frame of economics or psychology but from the view of cultural meanings within the contextual, symbolic and experiential of consumption from acquisition to consumption and disposition. The theoretical guidance for this study which is parallel with CCT incorporates the lenses of social anthropology and consumer behaviour, which is based on interpretive and ethnographic approaches. Data was collected from forty in-depth interviews, participant observation, photographs over three years to provide a schema of analyses. The findings reveal variations of the celebration consumption from the participants, place, time and activities with negotiations made across age, gender and social status. Four central themes came to light as integral components of the celebrationconsumption experience in addressing the consumers’ identity and its identification through namely solidarity, symbolism, self-concept and play among ethnic subculture members. Firstly identity is negotiated through solidarity likened to the western identity with thanksgiving; bonding in preparation; time for all and reconnection; inclusion of ancestors, deities, friends and relatives; appropriation of food; and pragmatism of time and venue for the gathering. Secondly, identity is associated with symbolism derived from the meanings of: time; food and actions of gifting; and prayers to taboos. Thirdly, the concept of self-identity is reflected in the projection of future self; the role of mother, wife, daughter-in-law, and children; social identity and interdependent of self. Lastly, the phenomenology of play due to the liminal essence of standing between the threshold of old and new, is manifested through food, gifts and gambling as the ritual is being re-experienced through an imagined construction of reality and new identity. The findings of this study generate implications for theorists and practitioners within the context of the identity of the consumers in the construction, maintenance and negotiation of identity is often used to maintain the sense of identity through time as it defines oneself in relationship to other people. This study validates the knowledge of culture that is continuously produced, reproduced and negotiated within the CCT constructs from the ethnic subculture consumption perspective. Keywords: culture, consumption, ritual, identity, ethnic, subculture, solidarity,symbolism, self-concept, play Chinese, Consumer Culture Theory (CCT)

Towards equal voices: childcare and children in Chinese and Bangladeshi households in Newcastle upon Tyne

PhD ThesisChildcare is the site of a number of interrelated and contested social, political and economic issues. The impetus for this piece of research came from a concern with how the agenda for social inclusion, especially with regard to minority ethnic ‗hard-to-reach‘ groups, could be promoted through childcare. As yet, very little research has been undertaken specifically on the childcare needs of minority ethnic groups in Britain, despite the fact that ‗race‘ and ‗social exclusion‘ issues are more pertinent than ever. The research is a comparative study into the childcare practices and needs of Chinese and Bangladeshi communities, undertaken in collaboration with the Newcastle Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP). It is based on in-depth interview data from eight Chinese and seven Bangladeshi households of different origins, compositions and socio-economic backgrounds in Newcastle upon Tyne. Taking a household and social networks approach, the research aims to capture the perceptions and experiences of childcare from the perspectives not only of parents, but also of grandparents, children, and others taken to be part of the household. Household data is contextualised by focus groups with women and interviews with key workers. Practices of childcare were very different within and between the two communities, which differ in terms of their migration history, settlement and employment patterns. In some cases, understandings of the needs of children were structured around work obligations and in other cases vice versa. There are strong ii i links between childcare and education, which includes religious instruction for Muslim children. Bringing up children varied in terms of the combinations of parent, grandparent and older sibling involved, and migration history, neighbourhoods and networks and family ideologies are among a matrix of factors underpinning practice. Research participants, in particular children, demonstrated agency and an ability to thrive within the structural and cultural constraints of their household circumstances, challenging the cultural assumptions often made about the respective communities. The research examines the meanings of ‗household‘, ‗family‘ and ‗social networks‘ for a greater understanding of the contexts for childcare in each of these communities. It also highlights the importance of understanding the impact of migration history and settlement patterns on household and childcare preferences. The environment surrounding these households and the degree to which parents perceive this to be hostile or against their beliefs and values also affect the care of children. An understanding of cultural and religious values was found to be important in this regard. A major theoretical outcome of the research is the greater recognition of the place of social reproduction and the socialisation of children in discourses on social exclusion. This has been identified as being particularly pertinent for most families, for whom the cultivation of the cultural identities of children is a prime consideration. Another key finding is that participation in certain sectors of the labour market can be socially-excluding in itself. A definition of social exclusion as the result of cross-cutting social inequalities such as gender, class, ethnicity and race arises from the data. There are significant policy implications for government initiatives such as Sure Start and Children‘s Centres, and recommendations have been made to Newcastle EYDCP with respect to implementing the duty to ensure that policies on race equality and inclusion are acted upon.ESRC CASE studentship

Towards equal voices : childcare and children in Chinese and Bangladeshi households in Newcastle upon Tyne

Childcare is the site of a number of interrelated and contested social, political and economic issues. The impetus for this piece of research came from a concern with how the agenda for social inclusion, especially with regard to minority ethnic ‗hard-to-reach‘ groups, could be promoted through childcare. As yet, very little research has been undertaken specifically on the childcare needs of minority ethnic groups in Britain, despite the fact that ‗race‘ and ‗social exclusion‘ issues are more pertinent than ever. The research is a comparative study into the childcare practices and needs of Chinese and Bangladeshi communities, undertaken in collaboration with the Newcastle Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP). It is based on in-depth interview data from eight Chinese and seven Bangladeshi households of different origins, compositions and socio-economic backgrounds in Newcastle upon Tyne. Taking a household and social networks approach, the research aims to capture the perceptions and experiences of childcare from the perspectives not only of parents, but also of grandparents, children, and others taken to be part of the household. Household data is contextualised by focus groups with women and interviews with key workers. Practices of childcare were very different within and between the two communities, which differ in terms of their migration history, settlement and employment patterns. In some cases, understandings of the needs of children were structured around work obligations and in other cases vice versa. There are strong ii i links between childcare and education, which includes religious instruction for Muslim children. Bringing up children varied in terms of the combinations of parent, grandparent and older sibling involved, and migration history, neighbourhoods and networks and family ideologies are among a matrix of factors underpinning practice. Research participants, in particular children, demonstrated agency and an ability to thrive within the structural and cultural constraints of their household circumstances, challenging the cultural assumptions often made about the respective communities. The research examines the meanings of ‗household‘, ‗family‘ and ‗social networks‘ for a greater understanding of the contexts for childcare in each of these communities. It also highlights the importance of understanding the impact of migration history and settlement patterns on household and childcare preferences. The environment surrounding these households and the degree to which parents perceive this to be hostile or against their beliefs and values also affect the care of children. An understanding of cultural and religious values was found to be important in this regard. A major theoretical outcome of the research is the greater recognition of the place of social reproduction and the socialisation of children in discourses on social exclusion. This has been identified as being particularly pertinent for most families, for whom the cultivation of the cultural identities of children is a prime consideration. Another key finding is that participation in certain sectors of the labour market can be socially-excluding in itself. A definition of social exclusion as the result of cross-cutting social inequalities such as gender, class, ethnicity and race arises from the data. There are significant policy implications for government initiatives such as Sure Start and Children‘s Centres, and recommendations have been made to Newcastle EYDCP with respect to implementing the duty to ensure that policies on race equality and inclusion are acted upon.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceESRC CASEGBUnited Kingdo

The impact of life changes on social media practices: An ethnographic study of young Chinese adults living in Australia

There are mainstream research focuses on how social media affect people's lives, the present study explores how people use social media when confronted with life changing events or circumstances, especially when living overseas. Being exposed to a new living environment in Australia, many young adults from other countries are faced with a range of challenges. These may include cultural barriers, language limitations, employment difficulties, and academic pressures. The interpersonal relationships of young adults and their technological mediations shift as they experience life changes. Drawing from long-term ethnographic research among young adults who moved from mainland China to Australia for further education or employment, I argue that social media are crucial in assisting young adults to navigate their life transitions. However, this plays out differently depending on the type of relationship and social context (friendship, love, family and work). I propose that with the affordances and the integrated communicative environment that polymedia (Madianou & Miller's 2013) provides, young adults living overseas present themselves and their life changes to diverse groups of people in different ways in order to mediate different types of ongoing relationships. This thesis contributes to the scholarship of interpersonal relationships and social media studies by exploring the digitally mediated communication of young adults going through life changes

Aspirational well-being and digital media: Southeast Asian international students' use of digital media and their pursuit of the good life in Melbourne, Australia

International students are a significant component of the increasingly global mobility of people, technologies, and goods. As an important part of global education economies and networks, the growth of international student populations highlights the ways in which mobility, technology, and identity transition are entwined. In 2016, Southeast Asian international students represented 24.8% of the total international student population in the higher education sector, and international students made up nearly one-fourth (26.8%) of all higher education students in Australia. This phenomenon is indicative of the changing mobilities in the Asian region¿especially in terms of economic, social and technological shifts that, in turn, are informing new class aspirations in, and through, media practice. It is these emergent mobilities that this dissertation seeks to understand through the guiding research question: What role does digital media technology play in the aspirations and practice of well-being among Southeast Asian international students in Melbourne, Australia? This dissertation documents and analyses how international students from Southeast Asia incorporate digital media technologies in their pursuit of a better life while studying in Australia. Drawing from qualitative methods deployed in the field for two years (2014-2016), the research seeks to make an original contribution to how Southeast Asian international students are conceptualised in Australia. It highlights the need to incorporate the complex, dynamic, and divergent ways in which Southeast Asian international students represent broader regional movements in and around the interlinking of economic, cultural, and technological elements of mobility as they pursue their aspirations. To understand the complex and dynamic ways media practices are involved in aspirational well-being, this dissertation, Aspirational Well-Being and Digital Media (hereinafter AWDM), deploys an interdisciplinary approach that includes media, culture, education, and migration studies to provide a nuanced and qualitative view of the topic. AWDM seeks to move beyond statistical studies of students' media usage and student well-being. It also seeks to move towards an in-depth analysis of the underlying motivations informing students' media practices and aspirations

Exploring the emotional geographies of communication technology use among older adults in contemporary London

PhDGeographies of ageing literature recognises the emotional qualities of ageing. However, an historical tendency to overly medicalise ageing means research often focuses on the emotions associated with specific events such as the emotions involved in living with health-related conditions, being a carer, or being cared for in different settings. There remains a paucity of research that attends to the everyday, mundane emotions of being old. This research attends to this lacuna by drawing on theoretical frames emerging from post-humanism and emotional geographies. Specifically, this research engages with the spatial organisation of emotions as it pertains to an increasingly significant element of ageing: the role of communication technology in older people’s ability to create and maintain new modes of (techno)sociability. Drawing upon 29 qualitative interviews and 13 cultural probe follow up responses with retired Londoners aged 59 to 89 years, this research examines how technology connects bodies to objects, people to people and (re)connects older adults to place in new and unexpected ways. Among this participant group diverse, highly individualised and complex amalgams of communication technologies were used. Each mode of communication technology was deployed using intricate strategies of selection and implementation, based on varying temporalities and spatialities, enhancing the ability of participants to relate emotionally with others. Technology use in this regard enabled the portability and emotional continuity of social networks, as communication was no longer tied to certain physical spaces. These findings are theoretically significant as emotions are increasingly seen to have a direct impact on the spatial construction of society through shaping human capacities and behaviours, which form the world around us. Work in this domain has been limited with certain emotions and bodies being more readily researched, and affiliated with particular gendered and sexualised bodies, bodily capacities, physical forms and social identities than others. This research is able to offer an understanding not currently present in geographical literatures, and offer new modes of spatial analysis that take into account the pervasive but differentiated use of technology.Queen Mary University of London Principal’s Research Studentship