Transnational Families: Family challenges

This set of learning resources is focused on the diverse roles that many young people take on in families settled in our region. They often find themselves in caring roles, or interpreting and translating for other family members, doing shopping and other chores around the house, as well as fulfilling their role as children!

The resources can be used in class when exploring the theme of family, the challenges of multi-generational settlement, and also issues around transnational family life.  They have been developed by MESH as part of an international research project called Transnational families in Europe: Care, Inequalities and Wellbeing across generations.  This project is led by the University of Reading, working with academic and non-academic partners across the UK, France, Spain and Sweden.  MESH is one of the project partners.

The research project highlights concerns around the role played by yourg people as carers. The final report states ‘Children’s and young people’s care work is often devalued and invisible, but may be crucial in enabling parents and other family members to fill gaps in care provision in the absence of extended family kin and in facilitating access to formal care resources through language and digital brokering.’

Our learning resource builds on a film produced by the Research team.  It includes slides for classroom presentation with embedded activities, a keywords list with audio, teaching notes and worksheets. Resources can be used with ESOL learners at a variety of levels.