A post‐socialist legacy in transnational families: Russian and Polish women in Finland

Abstract

In this article, we bridge the analytical gap between transnational anthropology and the anthropology of post‐socialism to explore the transnational family lives of Russian and Polish women in Finland. We point to three interrelated aspects of the post‐socialist legacy – (1) an inclusive understanding and practice of family that involves the interactions of immediate and extended family configurations; (2) intergenerational solidarity among women; and (3) feminine subjectivity built on the socialist ideal of a working mother. Our ethnographies illustrate that Russian and Polish women maintain their transnational families through networks of transnationally dispersed extended families. In women's lives and selves, traditional gendered motherhood and the liberal idea of a working woman are combined and supported by women's intergenerational companionship across borders. Our case studies show that such concrete, informal relations of affection and care provide women with a sense of security and self‐worth amid transnational change.

Language, networks, and virtual transnationalism: The case of Russian speakers from Estonia living in Finland

“…After the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, many Russian speakers suddenly found themselves in restored nation‐states where Russian was no longer the preferred language. This change triggered the return migration to Russia and onward migration to Europe and elsewhere (Tiaynen‐Qadir & Matyska, 2020).…”

“…By speaking Russian, local Russian communities can connect with the wider transnational Russian‐speaking population. It facilitates intergenerational communication between Russian speakers in different countries (Ivashinenko, 2019; Remennik, 2013; Tiaynen‐Qadir & Matyska, 2020). To communicate over distances and develop transnational social fields, Russian speakers can use globally connected ICT and social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp and Russian social network platforms such as Odnoklassniki and VKontakte (Golova, 2020).…”

“…Research on immigrants’ transnational activities often focuses on Anglo‐American contexts. However, interesting new contexts have emerged from East–West migration in Europe (Tiaynen‐Qadir & Matyska, 2020). This article studies Russian speakers from Estonia living in Finland.…”

Families in flux: at the nexus of fluid family configurations and language practices

“…The body of research addressing issues in relation to Russian speakers in Finland is growing and now covers a variety of research agendas, such as attitudes towards Russian-speaking minorities (Nshom and Croucher 2014), discrimination against Russian speakers in Finland, identity and belonging (Jasinskaja-Lahti and Liebkind 1998), women's experiences of migration (Krivonos 2015;Tiaynen-Qadir and Matyska 2020) and transnational mobility (Davydova-Minguet and Pöllänen 2020). In recent years researchers have also looked at issues of family multilingualism in Finland (see e.g.…”

“…Kim and Starks 2010). In Finland, research that focuses on the lived experiences and migration trajectories of Russianspeaking women indicates that 'Russian language and culture serves as a source of identification' for women (Tiaynen-Qadir and Matyska 2020). A study by Davydova-Minguet and Pöllänen (2020) demonstrates that Russian-speaking women have to negotiate family languages with their spouses when enacting transnational family.…”