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Finding Home: Challenges Faced by Geographically Mobile Families *
Author(s) -
Allen Sarah
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
family relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1741-3729
pISSN - 0197-6664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-3729.2007.00485.x
Subject(s) - ambivalence , situated , dialectic , sociology , qualitative research , key (lock) , geography , gender studies , social psychology , psychology , epistemology , social science , computer science , computer security , philosophy , artificial intelligence
This qualitative study explores the dialectical dimensions of home as experienced by geographically mobile couples. Informants ( N = 48) defined home as having multiple meanings and locations, with 4 dialectical tensions embedded within their experience. Home was situated between (a) geographic spaces that were here and there, (b) geographic spaces that were temporary and permanent, (c) temporal spaces in the past and future, and (d) child and adult identities. Two key strategies emerged in navigating these tensions: (a) resolving ambivalence and (b) maintaining ambivalence. Implications and applications of the findings are discussed.