Transnational Kinship Ties and Welfare State Resistance

In contemporary kinship studies, state and family appear to be closely related. This forceful affiliation is a result of complex historical and social contestation where reproduction, socialization and ties of affection are not only naturally intimate but also politically public. Anthropologists ha...

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Main Author: Petri Hautaniemi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Suomen Antropologinen Seura (Finnish Anthropological Society) 2010-12-01
Series:Suomen Antropologi
Online Access:https://journal.fi/suomenantropologi/article/view/127516
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author Petri Hautaniemi
author_facet Petri Hautaniemi
author_sort Petri Hautaniemi
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description In contemporary kinship studies, state and family appear to be closely related. This forceful affiliation is a result of complex historical and social contestation where reproduction, socialization and ties of affection are not only naturally intimate but also politically public. Anthropologists have much to comment on this; alas, their educated and comparative observations often go unnoticed. The speakers in this debate more often seem to represent the social policy  rofessions, state bureaucracies and legal expertise.   European immigration politics generally are illustrative. The tightening of residence permits and the control of particular migration groups seem to be  emergent trends. Though state policies and the rationales behind them are often promoted as protection against threats like human trafficking or terrorism, applications of this institutional thinking are largely interpreted as acts of discrimination by the migrants or family members involved. Furthermore, less attention has been paid to how the state classifies families and family members, something which is reproducing rather unrealistic ideals and norms for families and kin groups in general. In fact, the criteria of family relatedness for immigrant families differ from those very practices which are assumed to define family within most welfare states in Europe. In this context, I argue, more comparative, anthropologically-informed analysis would be useful.
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spelling doaj.art-086441f103e54c1288c4ddaee228b50f2023-03-05T16:12:40ZengSuomen Antropologinen Seura (Finnish Anthropological Society)Suomen Antropologi1799-89722010-12-01354Transnational Kinship Ties and Welfare State ResistancePetri Hautaniemi0University of Helsinki In contemporary kinship studies, state and family appear to be closely related. This forceful affiliation is a result of complex historical and social contestation where reproduction, socialization and ties of affection are not only naturally intimate but also politically public. Anthropologists have much to comment on this; alas, their educated and comparative observations often go unnoticed. The speakers in this debate more often seem to represent the social policy  rofessions, state bureaucracies and legal expertise.   European immigration politics generally are illustrative. The tightening of residence permits and the control of particular migration groups seem to be  emergent trends. Though state policies and the rationales behind them are often promoted as protection against threats like human trafficking or terrorism, applications of this institutional thinking are largely interpreted as acts of discrimination by the migrants or family members involved. Furthermore, less attention has been paid to how the state classifies families and family members, something which is reproducing rather unrealistic ideals and norms for families and kin groups in general. In fact, the criteria of family relatedness for immigrant families differ from those very practices which are assumed to define family within most welfare states in Europe. In this context, I argue, more comparative, anthropologically-informed analysis would be useful. https://journal.fi/suomenantropologi/article/view/127516
spellingShingle Petri Hautaniemi
Transnational Kinship Ties and Welfare State Resistance
Suomen Antropologi
title Transnational Kinship Ties and Welfare State Resistance
title_full Transnational Kinship Ties and Welfare State Resistance
title_fullStr Transnational Kinship Ties and Welfare State Resistance
title_full_unstemmed Transnational Kinship Ties and Welfare State Resistance
title_short Transnational Kinship Ties and Welfare State Resistance
title_sort transnational kinship ties and welfare state resistance
url https://journal.fi/suomenantropologi/article/view/127516
work_keys_str_mv AT petrihautaniemi transnationalkinshiptiesandwelfarestateresistance