Lives in Motion

“In Lives in Motion, sociologist Decimo draws our attention to the family-making and affective relations of Moroccan transnational migrants in Italy, highlighting the ways in which marriage, childbirth and childrearing are intertwined with migration projects. In an era of heightened xenophobic nationalism, this important book shows how the power of migrant agency and affective relations can sustain communities, and contribute to Italy’s declining demographics. Timely and significant.” —Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo, Professor Emerita of Sociology, University of Southern California, US “No social issue had had more recent political salience in Italy than immigration, and as national worries about declining fertility have grown, the rising proportion of all births due to migrants has taken on great significance. In this context, Lives in Motion, by Francesca Decimo develops theoretically rich insight. Based on a case study of Moroccan migration to Italy, it offers broader lessons on the ways in which migration intersects with marriage and fertility.” —David Kertzer, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and Italian Studies, Brown University, US This book focuses on global mobility and the worldwide articulation of family life, understood as dimensions of social change that come off from the private sphere of individuals and reverberate to the point of transforming the composition of national populations. Delving into the interrelation of migration and life courses, the volume investigates how individual mobility paths are intertwined with family matters and the way population movements are embedded in a myriad of intimate and household affairs. The inquiry is based on qualitative data and specifically focused on the migratory flow between Morocco and Italy through an exploration that encompasses a range of interrelated issues such as: transnational marriages, intimacy, love, daily domestic life, the formation of second generations and citizenship. Providing an exhaustive analysis of such phenomena, the book portrays cultural diversity in a nuanced manner and, in so doing, contributes to de-politicize widely stigmatized traits of migrant families. Francesca Decimo is Associate Professor in Sociology at the Department of Sociology and Social Research, University of Trento, Italy.