Building Families across Boundaries: Kinship Practices and Household Organization in Romanian/Egyptian Mixed Marriages

Abstract

This essay investigates some aspects of the everyday lives of thirteen Romanian/Egyptian mixed couples living in Cairo. It focuses on the intertwined aspects of household organization, gender relations and kinship practices. It also presents the circumstances in which the future couples met as well as the regulations of the states that are significant for understanding the lives of the spouses. The essay argues that for understanding a phenomenon such as transnational families one should place the investigation at the intersection between everyday practices and larger structures - political, economic and ideological. In addition, it tries to contribute to contemporary debates in the field of kinship studies and to discussion regarding the position of women in Middle Eastern societies.