What are the economic choices and relationships that motivate, condition, or result from transnational living, i.e. living in two countries simultaneously? In this article published in the journal Population, Space and Place, co-authored by Marta Bivand Erdal and Jørgen Carling, you can find out. A video abstract illustrates the backdrop for the article, and explains why the economics of transnational living merit further attention.
Drawing on 101 semi-structured interviews with individuals (and couples) living in two countries, the economic aspects are unpacked. The key dimensions of economic salience are found to be:
- Economic motivations for transnational living
- Economic costs of transnational living
- Economic gains from transnational living
- Economic arrangements in transnational living
- Economic barriers to transnational living
Meanwhile these operate differently in relation to a set of sx identified spheres of importance - not exhaustive - and a set to be further researched, namely: (1) livelihoods, (2) housing, (3) mobility, (4) social protection, (5) legal matters, and (6) brokerage.
The article shows how the economics of transnational living offer avenues for furthering theorisation on both migration and modes of exchange.
You can read the article Open Access here, alongside a video abstract.
The article is an outcome of the Transnational Lives in the Welfare State project, which was funded by the Research Council of Norway, and led by Jørgen Carling.