Swedish Retirement Migrant Communities in Spain: 'Privatization, informalization and moral economy filling transnational care gaps1'

This article analyses the Swedish international retirement migrants (IRMs) in Spain and their consumption of domestic and eldercare services. In a transnational position and in the absence of stable structures and institutions (i.e., family, state and market provision), the IRMs are a part of liquid...

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Main Author: Anna Gavanas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Helsinki University Press 2017-09-01
Series:Nordic Journal of Migration Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journal-njmr.org/articles/232
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author Anna Gavanas
author_facet Anna Gavanas
author_sort Anna Gavanas
collection DOAJ
description This article analyses the Swedish international retirement migrants (IRMs) in Spain and their consumption of domestic and eldercare services. In a transnational position and in the absence of stable structures and institutions (i.e., family, state and market provision), the IRMs are a part of liquid communities of care. It is argued that between themselves, and in relation to entrepreneurs and workers, the Swedish retirement migrants are part of a moral economy of care, reflecting the collective and individual consequences of the migration – as well as the labour market and welfare context in Spain. To IRMs, the moral economies mitigate the changing conditions of family and welfare in a transnational context. Solidarity and care among IRMs, as well as personalized relations with workers and intermediaries become even more important when relatives are physically absent and the Swedish welfare services (which are traditionally more extensive than the Spanish equivalent) are inaccessible. Therefore, the IRMs partake in a moral economy making gaps and inequalities more manageable, while creating coping strategies in the face of unaffordable market solutions.
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spelling doaj.art-126bf1fd167f4588b2cc19908c665cea2022-12-21T23:06:36ZengHelsinki University PressNordic Journal of Migration Research1799-649X2017-09-017316517110.1515/njmr-2017-0026218Swedish Retirement Migrant Communities in Spain: 'Privatization, informalization and moral economy filling transnational care gaps1'Anna Gavanas0Linköping UniversityThis article analyses the Swedish international retirement migrants (IRMs) in Spain and their consumption of domestic and eldercare services. In a transnational position and in the absence of stable structures and institutions (i.e., family, state and market provision), the IRMs are a part of liquid communities of care. It is argued that between themselves, and in relation to entrepreneurs and workers, the Swedish retirement migrants are part of a moral economy of care, reflecting the collective and individual consequences of the migration – as well as the labour market and welfare context in Spain. To IRMs, the moral economies mitigate the changing conditions of family and welfare in a transnational context. Solidarity and care among IRMs, as well as personalized relations with workers and intermediaries become even more important when relatives are physically absent and the Swedish welfare services (which are traditionally more extensive than the Spanish equivalent) are inaccessible. Therefore, the IRMs partake in a moral economy making gaps and inequalities more manageable, while creating coping strategies in the face of unaffordable market solutions.https://journal-njmr.org/articles/232retirement migrationinternational eldercaredomestic servicesmoral economyinformalization
spellingShingle Anna Gavanas
Swedish Retirement Migrant Communities in Spain: 'Privatization, informalization and moral economy filling transnational care gaps1'
Nordic Journal of Migration Research
retirement migration
international eldercare
domestic services
moral economy
informalization
title Swedish Retirement Migrant Communities in Spain: 'Privatization, informalization and moral economy filling transnational care gaps1'
title_full Swedish Retirement Migrant Communities in Spain: 'Privatization, informalization and moral economy filling transnational care gaps1'
title_fullStr Swedish Retirement Migrant Communities in Spain: 'Privatization, informalization and moral economy filling transnational care gaps1'
title_full_unstemmed Swedish Retirement Migrant Communities in Spain: 'Privatization, informalization and moral economy filling transnational care gaps1'
title_short Swedish Retirement Migrant Communities in Spain: 'Privatization, informalization and moral economy filling transnational care gaps1'
title_sort swedish retirement migrant communities in spain privatization informalization and moral economy filling transnational care gaps1
topic retirement migration
international eldercare
domestic services
moral economy
informalization
url https://journal-njmr.org/articles/232
work_keys_str_mv AT annagavanas swedishretirementmigrantcommunitiesinspainprivatizationinformalizationandmoraleconomyfillingtransnationalcaregaps1