Transcript Folie 1
Schumpeter-Research Group
„Multi-local Families“
Multi-locality: a New Perspective on Family
Transitions due to Separation and Divorce
Dr. Michaela Schier
German Youth Institute, Munich
Eighth Meeting of
European Network for the Sociological
and Demogaphic Studies of Divorce
Fourth session: Lifestyles and Trajectories
15th October 2010, Valencia
Schumpeter-Research Group
„Multi-local Families“
Key-Issue
•
How family life is conducted and arranged after
a parental separation, when parents and their
minor children are living in separate
households, sometimes far from each other?
Dr. Michaela Schier, German Youth Institute (DJI), Munich, Germany
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Schumpeter-Research Group
„Multi-local Families“
Independent Schumpeter Research Group
Multi-local Families in Germany: Everyday Accomplishment
of Family Life in the Case of Spatial Distance
Head: Dr. Michaela Schier
Staff: Anna Proske, Diane Nimmo, Julia
Selmaier
Duration: 1/2009 to 12/2013
Funded by: Volkswagen Foundation,
Hosted at: German Youth Institute (DJI), Munich, Germany
Research Design:
- Statistical analyses: DJI-Integrated Survey ‘Growing up in Germany: every
day life’ and other relevant data sets
- Two qualitative studies:
a. Multi-local life of families after separation
b. Multi-locality due to different types of work-related mobility
Dr. Michaela Schier, German Youth Institute (DJI), Munich, Germany
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Schumpeter-Research Group
„Multi-local Families“
Qualitative study I: Multi-local life of post-separation families
Sample
• 11 Post-Separation Families
• In all cases – except one – joint custody
Child´s place of residence
Distances between households
3 shared residence with equal parenting time
Same village or city
6 primary residence with the mother
2 same city; 22 km; 30 km; 230 km;
374 km
1 primary residence with the father
Same village
1 one child reside with the mother, the other
with the father
About 560 km
Mix of Methods
• Theme-centered narrative interviews with 28 adults (mothers, fathers and
their new partners) and 13 mobile children
• Visual methods (photos, socio-spatial network play)
• Participant observation (recorded by video)
Dr. Michaela Schier, German Youth Institute (DJI), Munich, Germany
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Schumpeter-Research Group
„Multi-local Families“
Our conceptual understanding of family
• Family = a social network of special character often
stretched across several households
• Family = based on emotions and centred at personal
care relations between generations and genders
• Family = not a natural and self-evident resource family members have ‘to do family’
•
•
Management of Balancing and Compatibility
Construction of commonality and togetherness
• Significant aspects of family life: Interpersonal
(incidental) interactions, trivial and everyday
moments, corporality
=> spatial copresence needed
Dr. Michaela Schier, German Youth Institute (DJI), Munich, Germany
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Schumpeter-Research Group
„Multi-local Families“
Assumption
In the case of multi-local living conditions these
aspects are limited and not available per se, thus new
everyday practices have to be developed in daily
family life.
Dr. Michaela Schier, German Youth Institute (DJI), Munich, Germany
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Schumpeter-Research Group
„Multi-local Families“
Families after Divorce or Separation –
Binuclear and Multi-local
Family part 1
Family part 2
Quelle: Ahrons 1980: 538
Dr. Michaela Schier, German Youth Institute (DJI), Munich, Germany
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Schumpeter-Research Group
„Multi-local Families“
Separation as a Process of Multi-localization – the
Spatio-temporal Reorganization of Family Life
Primary residence
Fp 1
Daily Family
Different distances; diversity of
commuting frequency and use
of means of transport
Shared residence
Fp 1
Daily Family A
Short distances; regular weekly
commuting frequency; by car,
foot, bike, public transport
Fp 2
Weekend Family
Fp 2
Daily Family B
Dr. Michaela Schier, German Youth Institute (DJI), Munich, Germany
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Schumpeter-Research Group
„Multi-local Families“
New Temporal Orders in Multi-local Post-separation Families in Germany
• 85 % of children spent the majority of time with their mother, only few
with their father and few spend equal time with both parents.
Personal father-child contacts
Krüger 2001
(n = 419 lone parents)
Arendt 2004
(n = 3600 separated
fathers)
Weekly resp. several times a week
25 %
15,6 %
Once or twice a month
20 %
39,9 %
7%
10,4 %
sporadic contacts (less than once in
three month)
15 %
8,9 %
No/little contact
33 %
25,3 %
Once a month
Dr. Michaela Schier, German Youth Institute (DJI), Munich, Germany
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Schumpeter-Research Group
„Multi-local Families“
New Spatial Orders in Multi-local Post-separation Families
in Germany
• The majority of parents live relatively close to each other after
separation.
Distance between households of separated parents in Germany (N=925)
35,7 %
in the same village or city
42,92 %
in the immediate environs (< 50 km)
11,57 %
50 to 200 km distance
9,73 %
further than 200 km
Source: Forsa-Study (2002)
• The spatio-temporal settings are dynamic.
Dr. Michaela Schier, German Youth Institute (DJI), Munich, Germany
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Schumpeter-Research Group
„Multi-local Families“
Multi-locality – New Needs for Doing Family…
…at the maternal and the paternal household
• Arranging personal child - non-resident parent contacts
• Management of an alternating number of household members
• “double homemaking” and “budget management”
• New working and childcare arrangements
• Emotional management of goodbyes and welcomes
• Children: to manage living in and between two family-worlds
…because of circular spatial mobility
• Mobility Management
• “Being on the road and in-between”
• To handle transitions
…in times of spatial separation
• Intimacy at a distance
• „Virtual visitation“
Dr. Michaela Schier, German Youth Institute (DJI), Munich, Germany
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Schumpeter-Research Group
„Multi-local Families“
Multi-locality – The Added Value of a Space-sensible Approach for
Research on Family Life after Separation
• New insights on post-separation
family life
• Visibility of functional and emotional
coherence across local borders
• New requirements (e.g. children´s
mobility) and daily practices are in
focus
• New essential questions for further
research arise.
Dr. Michaela Schier, German Youth Institute (DJI), Munich, Germany
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Schumpeter-Research Group
„Multi-local Families“
Thank you for your attention!
Dr. Michaela Schier
Schumpeter-Research Group
„Multi-local Families“
German Youth Institute
Dept. of Families and Family Policies
Nockherstraße 2
81541 Munich
Tel. ++49 89 62306 352
Email: [email protected]
www.dji.de/multilokale_familie
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Schumpeter-Research Group
„Multi-local Families“
The Legal Situation in Germany
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Child Law Reform Act (1998)
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Principle of joint parental responsibility (coparenting)
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Joint custody after divorce is the rule
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Unmarried parents can get joint custody
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Personal relations are in general in the best interest of
a child with respect to both parents
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Parents responsibility for the child includes the right
and duty to determine the child´s place of abode
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Schumpeter-Research Group
„Multi-local Families“
Multilocal multinuclear family - new partnerships (NTF2)
Fp 1
Fp 2
Daughter, 8
Daughter, 10
Daily Family A =
Father and his new
partner
Changing their
Daily Family B =
residence every Friday
Mother and her new
Distance: 3 km
partner
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