In today’s interconnected world, transnational families embody the dynamic interplay between mobility, technology, and the enduring human need for familial bonds. These families, spanning national borders, are often conceptualised in the broader context of labour migration, where mobility is typically framed as the pursuit of better economic opportunities and the search for material improvements in livelihoods. However, many families in different parts of the world are increasingly exposed to the destabilising effects of armed conflicts and socio-political crises. Unlike migration motivated by voluntary aspirations, conflict-driven migration is often sudden, involuntary, and precarious by definition. It involves not only geographical displacement but also profound emotional, social, and cultural dislocation, and losses.

Taking into consideration all the diversity of family constellations, families who are separated by war or political instability often face unique challenges, such as navigating legal and logistical barriers for reunification, dealing with the trauma of separation, and rebuilding lives under conditions of uncertainty. Bonds within such families are often strained by distance and exacerbated by a lack of stable communication channels or the ability to provide mutual support. Furthermore, these families are disproportionately affected by global inequalities, intersecting with issues of citizenship, asylum policies, and systemic discrimination. Efforts to adopt a common international and European policy for separated families seeking asylum from armed conflicts often face obstacles such as national prejudices, xenophobia, poorly functioning institutions in individual countries, and rejection by local communities.

The conference aims to explore the intersections of forced migration, resilience, social support/care (also with regard to traumatic experiences), and settling, while situating the experiences and trajectories of transnational families within broader discussions of power, agency, and social justice. At the same time, it invites reflection on how concepts such as belonging, care, and solidarity are renegotiated and expressed across distance in crisis contexts. The focus is not only on how crises disrupt existing family practices, but also on how they catalyse transformation and innovation in sustaining family life transnationally. This includes understanding the role of transnational practices including the use of technology in bridging distances, the interplay of cultural and institutional factors in supporting or impeding families, and the emergence of new forms of collective agency and advocacy among transnational families and their diasporic networks. By addressing these issues, the conference aims to advance theoretical and empirical insights that deepen our understanding of how families survive, adapt, and reimagine themselves in the face of profound challenges.

Themes and Topics
We invite submissions addressing the multifaceted experiences of different kinds of transnational families in the context of armed conflict, political instability, and other crises. Papers may explore, but are not limited to, the following themes:

Family Separation and Reunification:
– The impact of armed conflicts and other types of socio-political upheavals on family structures and relationships.
– Legal and logistical challenges of cross-border reunification in times of crises.

Coping Mechanisms and Resilience:
‒ Strategies adopted by transnational families to maintain connections amidst instability.
‒ Role of diasporic communities in supporting family members affected by crises.

Language and Interaction:
‒ Linguistic adaptation in the context of displacement: language learning, loss and maintenance in crisis situations.
‒ Emotional and symbolic dimensions of language use in transnational communication (e.g. language choice in family interactions and its relation to identity).

Communication and Technology:
‒ Digital tools and platforms in sustaining transnational family ties during emergencies.
‒ The role of media and virtual communication in shaping transnational family dynamics.

Intersections of Gender, Class, and Ethnicity:
‒ Ways gendered roles and expectations within families are reshaped by conflict and crisis.
‒ Intersectional vulnerabilities faced by marginalised transnational families.

Children and Youth in Transnational Families:
‒ Children’s experiences of maintaining family ties across conflict zones.
‒ Educational and emotional challenges faced by children in displaced or divided families.

Policy and Humanitarian Responses:
‒ State and non-state actors’ approaches to addressing the needs of transnational families in crisis.
‒ The role of international and non-governmental organizations in assisting displaced families.

Conference Format
We welcome proposals for theoretical and empirical presentations as well as case studies from different regions of the world. We encourage the participation of scholars at all stages of their careers, including PhD students and post-docs. Based on the thematic criteria, proposals will be distributed in panels of 3 to 5 papers. The length of a single paper should not exceed 20 minutes. Additional time will be provided for discussion.

We aim to provide a hybrid format to accommodate participants who may face travel difficulties or restrictions. Applicants may choose how they wish to attend the conference - in person or online.

Financial conditions
There is no participation fee, the expenses for the coffee breaks and materials provided during the two days of the conference will be covered by the organisers. However, the participants should financially ensure their travel and accommodation (if attending in person).

Application
To apply for the conference, please send an abstract (200–250 words) with a title and up to 5 keywords, as well as name of the author(s), institutional affiliation, contact email and a brief biographical note (up to 150 words). Please also indicate your preferred option of participation – in-person or online (this has no bearing on the selection process).

Deadline for submission: March 10, 2025

Notification of acceptance: April 30, 2025

Submit abstracts to: tnf.sofia2025@gmail.com

We look forward to receiving your proposals and hope to see you in Sofia!



Organizer: Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum at
the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

Scientific Committee
Assoc. Prof. Petko Hristov, PhD
(Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum – BAS, Bulgaria)
Assist. Prof. Ivaylo Markov, PhD
(Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum – BAS, Bulgaria)
Assoc. Prof. Natalia Ringblom, PhD
(Umeå University, Sweden)
Prof. Ute Karl, PhD
(Protestant University of Applied Sciences Ludwigsburg, Germany)
Assoc. Prof. Paolo Ruspini, PhD
(Roma Tre University, Italy)

Organizing Committee:
Assoc. Prof. Petko Hristov, PhD
(Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum – BAS, Bulgaria)
Assist. Prof. Ivaylo Markov, PhD
(Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum – BAS, Bulgaria)
Assist. Prof. Desislava Pileva, PhD
(Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum – BAS, Bulgaria)
Assist. Prof. Violeta Periklieva, PhD
(Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum – BAS, Bulgaria)