African American Nurses and Travel: Collaboration and Social Remittances

My primary research objective is to expand the scope of transnationalism by drawing on what sociologist Peggy Levitt refers to as social remittances, which are characterized as "ideas, behaviours, identities and social capital (1998), that flow from receiving -- to sending -- country communities," to explore nurses affiliations, relationships, and partnerships across borders. My research departs from the traditional use of social remittances with an emphasis on migrants, sending and receiving societies to focus on short-term travel for educational purposes outside and within specific geographical locations. As such, I am interested in how philanthropic organizations such as the Rockefeller Foundation (RF) facilitate transnational connections among and between nurses, particularly nurses of color. The goal here is to explore how ideas and practices gleaned from working, studying, attending seminars, and conferences in various relocations are remodelled in specific contexts. To that end, I explore cross-cultural and racial collaborations and affiliations that nurses forge while being attentive to the political, social, and economic context that impact and influence these relationships.