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Nedelcu, Mihaela
Nom
Nedelcu, Mihaela
Affiliation principale
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Professeure titulaire
Email
mihaela.nedelcu@unine.ch
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- PublicationRestriction temporaireAgeing transnationally: A comparative analysis of transnational mobilities in old age(2023-08-28)
; This cumulative PhD thesis was developed within the framework of a mixed-methods research project that deals with the transnational mobilities of older adults. More specifically, this PhD research takes an in-depth look at the different kinds of transnational mobilities that are established during retirement and the factors that motivate and influence these movements. To research these topics, it uses a ‘transnational studies perspective’ and a ‘Migration-Mobility-Nexus’ as its conceptual foundation. The overarching topic of transnational ageing is approached from a conceptual, methodological, and empirical perspective. Its conceptual framework is designed to capture the diversity of older adults on the move and other contextual factors circulating across national borders. The methodological chapter of this PhD thesis discusses the value of mixed-methods designs for transnational ageing research. It also presents an in-depth analysis of online interviews and a reflection on the use of such an interview mode in a research project conducted with older individuals. Finally, the empirical chapter deals with the two principal research interests of this PhD thesis involving the different types of transnational mobilities in old age and the main reasons for these. For the empirical analysis, I conducted 45 semi-structured interviews within a Swiss-Spanish case study. These qualitative interviews were carried out between June 2020 and August 2021 with ten couples and 35 individuals. Thus, 55 older adults took part in this PhD research. These individuals lived mostly along the South coast of Spain and were aged between 64 and 89 years old. The participants displayed various pre-retirement migration trajectories, ranging from no migration, to one migration, to multiple migrations. Thus, older adults of various nationalities were involved in the PhD research. In terms of different types of transnational mobilities, two post-retirement mobility patterns emerged from the qualitative data. Indeed, some participants decided to leave Switzerland during retirement and to relocate to Spain; others kept their official residency in Switzerland and spent at least three months per year in Spain. The latter are defined as ‘bi-locals’ in this PhD thesis. The participants who decided to relocate to Spain can be divided into three further categories: 1) people who migrate for the first time during retirement (‘first-time migrants’), 2) people who return to Spain (‘return migrants’), and 3) people who re-emigrate to a new country during retirement (‘onwards migrants’). Therefore, different types of transnational mobilities can be observed in the qualitative data. On the one hand, fluid and short-term mobility patterns are identified. On the other hand, long-term, permanent forms of mobilities that go beyond first-time and return migration are also to be found. One original contribution of this PhD thesis thereby resides in the identification of this diversity within mobility patterns and practices in old age. While transnational ageing research focuses primarily on individuals who move to another country for the first time during retirement or who return to their home country when ceasing work, I also consider patterns of re-emigration in my research. In so doing, I thereby expand transnational ageing scholarship to a hitherto little acknowledged and analysed transnational mobility pattern. In terms of what motivates transnational mobilities in old age, five main factors emerge from the qualitative data: 1) financial concerns; 2) climate-related considerations; 3) a sense of attachment arising from return visits and leisure trips; 4) pivotal life events; and 5) personal ties. The empirical analysis of these factors follows a comparative approach based on the four previously mentioned categories. The empirical findings indicate that older adults with and without a pre-retirement migration experience develop similar transnational mobility patterns. Moreover, important overlapping factors influencing these movements can be observed. For example, a desire to enjoy a warmer climate and the advantages of a slower and healthier lifestyle are important motivational factors in choosing to spend (part of) retirement in another country. Feelings of attachment can also act as a catalyst for migration to Spain. Indeed, qualitative data indicates that older adults with and without a pre-retirement migration experience develop such feelings through regular return travel, tourism, and family ties. There are, however, also important differences between the four categories of older adults, as in the case of financial concerns. Indeed, individuals who had lived and worked in Switzerland their entire lives received, generally speaking, larger pensions, as they had little or no gaps in their old-age and survivor’s insurance (OASI). In addition, comparative analysis indicates that bi-local older adults – with and without pre-retirement migration trajectories – chose a dual residency strategy for similar reasons. By examining the differences and similarities between the various categories of older adults, this PhD thesis wishes to contribute in a significant way to our understanding of various transnational mobility practices developed in old age. In so doing, it wishes to expand transnational ageing research, which often focuses primarily on one specific (migrant) category within a research project. Furthermore, this PhD research demonstrates that bi-locality is a specific post-retirement mobility pattern motivated by factors other than those linked to relocation. While this mobility pattern has been mainly portrayed as an alternative strategy to relocation, this PhD thesis proves that bi-locality is a deliberately chosen form of mobility. - PublicationAccès libre