Migration from Brazil has been increasing since the 1990s, and Europe has become an important region of destination. The paper will present first results from a research project entitled ‘Transnational Education and Social Positioning between Brazil and Europe. A qualitative study among migrant families’ (cp. Fürstenau, 2015). Migration decision making within transnational families is one focus of the enquiry. From the perspective of the families, interconnections between a) migration decision-making, b) social positioning and c) educational strategies are reconstructed. We employed the genealogical method in order to capture the networks of transnational families. We conducted ethnographic field research (participant observation, interviews) in Brazil and Europe. The theoretical framework is a transnational research perspective, including concepts of ‘transnational families’ and ‘transnational education’. The results presented will indicate the importance of educational opportunities for migration decision making in families.

Fürstenau, S. (2015): Educação transnacional e posicionamento social entre o Brasil e a Europa. Um estudo qualitativo com famílias migrantes. In J. Bahia & M. Santos (Eds.), Recortes interdisciplinares sobre a migração entre o Brasil e a Alemanha (pp.69-86). Porto Alegre: Letra & Vida.