transnacionálnej rodiny
Family on the Edge: Current Contexts of Vulnerability and Transnational Family Transformations
Grant Scheme: APVV
Project Number: VV-MVP-24-0203
Title: Rodina na rozhraní: Súčasné súvislosti zraniteľnosti a transformácií transnacionálnej rodiny
Acronym: RONARO
Duration: March 1, 2025 – December 31, 2028
Partner Institution: Ústav výskumu sociálnej komunikácie SAV, v. v. i.
Principal Investigator: Mgr. Martina Wilsch, PhD.
Project Team: Mgr. Soňa Gyárfáš Lutherová, PhD., Mgr. Ľubica Voľanská, PhD., Mgr. Miroslava Hlinčíková, PhD., Mgr. Zuzana Očenášová, PhD., Mgr. Magdaléna Petrjánošová, PhD., doc. Mgr. Miroslav Popper, CSc.
The research project’s central theme is the family’s vulnerability in the wake of societal transformations and their manifold impacts on family structures today. The research team will focus on selected family practices with a cross – cutting consideration of contexts of care and transnationality. The main aim is to deepen understanding of different forms of vulnerability (i.e., the capacity of individuals or groups to withstand risks (Albris, 2022)), explored across individuals’ life situations, life course, and structural disadvantage. Individuals and family members increasingly find themselves moving abroad temporarily or long-term, voluntarily or involuntarily. However, they are still linked to their birthplace by living ties, whether in terms of social and emotional relationships, material goods, or other objective or subjective contexts (Bryceson & Vuorela, 2002).
However, those who remain in their country of origin (left behind) are also part of the transnational family. These often fall into an imaginary “grey zone” in which society does not always consider their vulnerability or reflect their needs (Cienfuegos-Illanesy&Brandhorst, 2023; Giada Meda&Crespi, 2018). The project intends to focus on both groups of this current phenomenon, which has not received sufficient attention in the current social science discourse in Slovakia and is, therefore, not adequately empirically grounded.
Through in-depth qualitative probes, the project thematizes selected aspects of the social practices of transnational families in Slovakia:
- families of Ukrainian refugees living in Slovakia and the phenomenon of their housing trajectories;
- Slovak parents whose adult children live abroad;
- spouses/partners of Slovak nannies working abroad.
The research is interdisciplinary and, through participatory and innovative methodological approaches, allows for a deeper dive into the experiences and challenges of transnational families in different contexts. The project not only maps the current form of family dynamics but also contributes to the broader scientific discussion on vulnerability in changing social and family structures.
Details about the project and its implementation
On 24 April 2025, an international methodological expert workshop entitled Beyond Translation: Reflexivity, Ethics, and the Role of Interpreters in Migration Research was held within the framework of the project RONARO – Family at the Crossroads: Contemporary Contexts of Vulnerability and Transformations of the Transnational Family. The event was organised by Mgr. Martina Wilsch, PhD, the principal investigator of the project.
The aim of the workshop was to critically examine the complexity of research involving interpreters in the study of transnational families. Through interactive and experiential methods, the workshop guided project team members as well as other participants towards a deeper understanding of ethical, reflexive, and contextually sensitive approaches to working with interpreters. At the same time, it contributed to the strengthening of the methodological skills of researchers focusing on transnational families.
The workshop addressed not only the methodological implications of involving interpreters in qualitative research, but also highlighted ethical dilemmas and the imperative of reflexivity. The event brought together 22 researchers from various European countries, all actively engaged in research on transnational families. The workshop was expertly led by Mgr. Helena Tužinská, PhD, a cultural and linguistic anthropologist from the Department of Archaeology and Cultural Anthropology at Comenius University, specialising in interpretation in migration research and institutional procedures (including asylum proceedings).
Participants were introduced to key theoretical and practical perspectives on interpretation in research, including:
- interlingual, intralingual, and intersemiotic dimensions of interpretation (Jakobson, 1959),
- narrative regimes and their influence on meaning-making in research (Spotti, 2019),
- the interpreter’s impact on data transmission and the positionality of the researcher,
- the role of interpreters as co-creators of cultural meaning, rather than passive intermediaries,
- ethical dilemmas, power dynamics, and the phenomenon of “interpreter invisibility” in the research process,
- strategies of dialogical communication and cultural mediation to uphold research integrity.
The structure of the workshop consisted of two 60-minute participatory sessions, including practical activities, discussions, and case study analyses, followed by a concluding lecture. The afternoon session was dedicated to an interactive methodological reflection on participants’ own research, as well as a discussion of opportunities for further collaboration.
Participants took away from the workshop:
- a deeper understanding of the methodological challenges of interpreter-mediated research,
- a reflexive awareness of their own positionality, power relations, and cultural interpretation in research interactions,
- skills for effective collaboration with interpreters,
- an appreciation of the active role of interpreters as co-creators of knowledge,
- a critical analysis of their own ethical principles in research.
The workshop provided a unique platform for critical discussion, networking activities, practical learning, and ethical reflection on the role of interpreters in qualitative research on transnational families. It also enhanced the methodological capacity of the RONARO project team in preparing the project’s research methodology.
The event was held in collaboration with COST Action CA21143 Transnational Family Dynamics in Europe and its Working Group on Qualitative Research (WG5Qual), co-led by Mgr. Martina Wilsch, PhD, and Esra Dermikol Colosio (Sociology Department, Çankırı Karatekin University).
Pictures from the workshop
Picture 1: Participatory Workshop (M. Wilsch)
Picture 2: Lecture H. Tužinská (M. Wilsch)
Picture 3: Discussions (M. Wilsch)
Picture 4: Participants of the workshop (H. Tužinská)
On March 28, 2025, the first and introductory online kick-off meeting of the RONARO project team was held, involving members from the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (ÚESA SAV, v. v. i.) as well as the Institute for Research in Social Communication of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (ÚVSK SAV, v. v. i.). The aim of this meeting was to successfully launch the project and lay a solid foundation for its future implementation.
Meeting Agenda:
- Presentation of the project and its objectives – Participants were introduced to the main focus of the project, its significance, and the expected outcomes.
- Presentation of the timeline and tasks – A detailed time schedule with key milestones was presented, and responsibilities were distributed among the team members.
- Clarification of expectations and competences of team members – The discussion addressed the responsibilities and expectations for individual roles, ensuring clarity and transparency.
- Establishing a shared understanding of the work process – Basic methodological frameworks and standards to be applied during the project implementation were agreed upon.
- Presentation of planned activities for the near future – Participants were provided with an overview of the upcoming steps and activities scheduled for the initial months of the project.
This kick-off meeting represented an important step toward the successful implementation of the project, setting the fundamental pillars for effective teamwork and the joint achievement of project goals.
