Transnational ageing and the later life course

Transnationalism and the later life course intersect in multiple ways. This chapter identifies different forms of older people's transnational involvement and summarizes the central findings from transnational ageing research. It shows that transnational involvement in old age can be a prolongation of cross-border ties and practices in younger years as well as a purely new experience at an already advanced age. In addition, it is argued that transnational ageing can both be a lifestyle option and the undesired consequence of spatially ruptured social formations. Still, rather little is known about the relationships between transnational ageing and older people's health and well-being. Similarly, more research is needed on forced transnationalization of older people's lives by deportation or displacement. The chapter concludes that a transnational perspective can add a layer of analysis to research on old age and critically revise established concepts in the interdisciplinary fields of ageing and family studies.