Parenting from afar and the reconfiguration of family across distance

The definition of family as a conjugal group consisting of parents and children living in the same household is in the process of a profound reworking, one that includes the constellation of family life that exists around the world. Increased migration and mobility have challenged traditional notions of what constitutes a family, yet much mainstream research relies on past notions of a cohesive unit under one domicile. Many families today are separated across distance and maintain ties in a multitude of ways. And although researchers have increasingly paid attention to this new picture of the family, much of this work has focused on transnational families separated in the context of overseas economic migration. In fact, family separation and long-distance parenting result from a multitude of reasons undertaken in various circumstances. This volume presents work from scholars who collectively show reasons that motivate parenting across distance, how families cope with separation and maintain ties, the impact of separation on family members, and how family is redefined and reconfigured in these various settings. By better understanding how we parent from a distance, this volume synthesizes ideas of kinship, relationships, and bonding and helps readers broaden their own ideas of parenting and family life.