Transnational repertoires

Devadason, Ranji

Abstract

In this chapter I draw on Dürrschmidt’s concept of ‘extended milieux’ in Living the global city (1997) to explore how transnational professionals actively construct a sense of being at home whilst on the move. They self-consciously develop – what I call – transnational repertoires which are situated in specific places initially, yet become transferrable. They thereby hint at a global frame of reference that anticipates and aspires to future mobility despite their immediate locales, which compel – to an extent – emplacement.

What my analysis examines is how (and whether) actors, who are required to relocate transnationally for their jobs, make sense personally of their geographical disembedding. Do they make themselves at home on the move? Active decision-making is integral to this capacity to reflexively construct a biography in an era of globalization. However, these employees are often constrained in their choices; they find themselves living and working in places that they would rather not be. Is it possible, under these circumstances, to construct biographical relevance through work? This chapter draws on analysis of survey data and interviews with transnational professionals in two organisations – a multinational corporation and a United Nations agency – to identify the practices that sustain extended milieux and enable the construction of home on the move.

Citation

Devadason, R. (2017). Transnational repertoires. In Re-Living the Global City (80-96). Taylor & Francis (Routledge). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315717586-6

• Publication Date: Nov 22, 2017
• Deposit Date: Jun 6, 2023
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Pages: 80-96
• Book Title: Re-Living the Global City
• Chapter Number: 6
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315717586-6
• Additional Information: Book information;; https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781315717586/re-living-global-city-john-eade-chris-rumford?_ga=1766953676.1665997703&_gl=1*1p6pxge*_ga*MTc2Njk1MzY3Ni4xNjY1OTk3NzAz*_ga_0HYE8YG0M6*MTY4NjA2MjI0MC4yNy4xLjE2ODYwNjIyOTkuMC4wLjA.