Paper short abstract:

Based on findings from fieldwork in Oslo and Stavanger the presentation explores perceptions of "home" of Lithuanian migrants in Norway. For some of them home is where they live, but many of them take a 'transnational understanding' of home or more precisely - homes.

Paper long abstract:

"My home is where I keep my tooth brush, or where I keep my shoes" - these are quite common sayings of Lithuanian migrants to Norway. Indeed, the concept of "home" is a much broader concept than it was some time before. A stable, rooted concept starts to loose its ground. Instead the concepts of deterritorialization, reterritorialization and others are employed to address the changing nature of rootedness in 'own land, culture, or state'.

Based on findings from fieldwork in Oslo and Stavanger (Norway), I will provide ethnographic examples on perceptions of home of Lithuanian migrants in Norway. Despite having lived in Norway for considerable periods Lithuanian migrants continue to have an ambiguous image of home. For some of them home is where they live, but many of them take a 'transnational understanding' of home or more precisely - homes. Despite staying in a new country, emigrants continue to feel as if they still live in their nation-state (Lithuania). This also influences how they perceive "home" here and there.