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British migrants to_nz

Centre for Applied Cross-cultural Research
Centre for Applied Cross-cultural Research

The document summarizes two studies about British migrants moving to New Zealand. The first was a qualitative analysis of online forums that found migration is a process with logistical and psychological challenges. The forums provided informational and emotional support. The second study found that having family support improves well-being and lowers stress, while extended family left behind causes difficulty. Support from partner/accompanying family was important for better psychological outcomes during the pre-departure period.

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A New Life: The Experience of British Migrants to New Zealand Aidan Tabor MSc Cross-Cultural Psychology Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural Research Victoria University of Wellington [email_address] & Prepared for The Settlement Division, Immigration New Zealand, Department of Labour Dr. Taciano L. Milfont Lecturer, School of Psychology Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural Research Victoria University of Wellington
Overview Group of Interest Study 1: Qualitative Thematic analysis of online immigration forums for migrants to NZ Study 2: Quantitative Stress, wellbeing and social support of predeparture British migrants Policy Implications Summary
20,680 work permits 6,732 skilled/business applications granted 1,304 family sponsored Roughly double any other source country Historical pattern of sending migrants here Desirable group, expectations that they will fit in easily Self-selected, skilled migration (Migration Trends & Outlook 2008/2009; Ward & Masgoret, 2008) British Immigrants to New Zealand
Study 1: Qualitative What psychological steps do individuals go through before , during and after migration? Online communities for migrants, primarily but not exclusively from the UK Balance of participation between migrants in NZ and predeparture One month timeframe: UK2NZ, ENZ and British Expats New Zealand board Thematic analysis: 1,898 data extracts in 40 codes, 5 themes
Migration Change Model, Tabor & Milfont, 2010
Intrapersonal factors novelty seeking adventure high risk tolerance perseverance It is all a little adventure and you wouldn't want to spend all your life in the same street, WOULD YOU? Familial connections better life for children Precontemplation: why leave the UK?
Contemplation: Pros and Cons Macro factors crime/ geopolitical security crowding environment government control of citizens lives immigration issues within UK Micro factors lifestyle/pace of life employment Rose-tinted spectacles (optimism bias)
Logistical and emotional demands cause stress. Our shippers are in next week, 11 more sleeps till we fly and sometimes I feelsuddenly and physically sick. I cannot wait to get on that plane! Seeking social support is a way to deal with stress. The main function of an immigration forum is to provide informational social support (61% of the dataset). Not only facts, but opinions and experiences are sought. Action: Stress & Coping
Informational Social Support Logistics of international move (shipping, airfares, money transfers) Housing Destination selection Employment Daily life (shopping) Immigration application process Self-correcting mechanisms (Esquivel, Meric-Bernstam, & Bernstam, 2006) : the more active the forum, the more quickly errors are corrected by other members. Questions similar to those reported by Wallis (2006) Wallis (2006) Skilled Migrants in New Zealand: A Study of Settlement Outcomes
Acculturation Little in the dataset about psychological adjustment problems (some homesickness) Only minor sociocultural adaptation problems (gravy granules and other differences in the market) Overall the picture of acculturation was very positive Nothing about other cultures encountered here- Mori or Pacific Island culture invisible?
Return Migration Its not you, its me. People return or onward migrate because of micro factors such as family, job issues not macro factors, similar results to Shorland (2006) Complaints about: housing (rentals particularly), driving skills of New Zealanders, child abuse, work practices, and weather balsa wood houses which provide no sound insulation at all and, well, it would be quieter on the Heathrow flight path If this is failed migration it likely failed for personal reasons, though some research has pointed to barriers to employment for many migrant groups. Remember novelty seeking as a personality characteristic?
sounds like your settling in well - i keep thinking that will be me soon!!! Normalization of risk Don't stress, it will all work out. We did pretty much exactly what you're doing. Following [forum members name] success with his application I decided to throw caution to the wind and apply online today! A community of like others Belonging: More than information sharing
Migration Change Model, Tabor & Milfont, 2010 Study 2: Quantitative
Immediate family support A ccompanying family members provide emotional and instrumental support upon arrival (Greeff & Holtzkamp, 2007). Trailing Spouses a reluctant spouse can mean the expatriate family returns before their assignment is over ( Harvey, 1997; Konopaske, Robie, & Ivancevich, 2005; Lauring & Selmer, 2010). Drivers of the migration decision- when one partner wants to come more than the other (De Jong, 2000, Tabor & Milfont, 2010) Q: Do differences in migration desire between partnered couples affect psychological outcomes and perceived family support?
Extended family support: those left behind Supportive for sojourners (Ong & Ward, 2005): People planning to return are given support from those remaining at home. Problematic for permanent migrants? (Bennett & Rigby, 1997; Hiller & McCaig, 2007). South African migrants to NZ said extended family were the most difficult part of leaving. Q: Does family support (immediate and extended) affect psychological outcomes in the predeparture period?
95 predeparture migrants residing in UK Mean age 38.80 (SD= 9.7), 56.8% female 85.3% had partner, 57.9% had children Participant characteristics 83.2% taken a definite step to migrate (either a plane ticket or applied for residence) 77.9% consider the move permanent 63.2% considering migration for 2+ years 22% leaving in the next 3 months 21% were driving the move (8 women, 12 men) 7% trailing spouses (n=7) 56% were equal in desire to move move
Measures Perceived Stress Scale (留 = .84) M= 15.49 (SD=6.39) WHO-Five Well-being Index (留 = .91) M= 18.47 (SD=5.56) CES-D Depression Scale (留 = .80) M= 6.91 (SD=2.29) Social Support (留 = .93 to .97) belongingness, venting, esteem, informational, instrumental, emotional support Family accompanying M=25.03 (SD=5.07) Extended family past M=19.01 (SD=6.68) Extended family after informing M=18.29 (SD=7.03)
Findings Q: Do differences in migration desire between partnered couples affect psychological outcomes and perceived family support? A: Yes. Drivers reported less social support from accompanying family ( F (1,55)=23.65, p <.001, 侶 2 = .30) Stress higher for the drivers ( F (1,77) = 4.38, p<.05, 侶 2 = .05)
Q: Does immediate family support affect psychological outcomes in the predeparture period? A: Yes. Family support correlated to better wellbeing ( r =.43, p<.001) lower stress ( r =-.42, p<.001) less depression ( r = -.41, p<.001) Stress relating to the move predicted wellbeing (硫 = .-.63, t(53) =-6.40, p < .001, explaining 39% of variance, R 2 = .40, F(1, 61) = 40.89, p <.001) Controlling for stress, support of accompanying family added to the model (硫 = .24, t(60) =2.23, p = .03, explaining 5% of the variance, R 2 = .205, F(1,60) = 24.28, p < .001)
Extended family support correlated to wellbeing ( r =.28, p=.01) but not stress ( r =-.17, p= .13) or depression ( r =.01, p=n.s.) Drop in support from extended family, after informing them of the planned departure ( t (78) = 2.99, p<.01) Sojourners perceived more support from extended family than did permanent migrants ( t (76) = -2.13, p = .03). Q: Does extended family support affect psychological outcomes in the predeparture period? A: Only weakly.
What are your main reasons for leaving the UK? crowding (28.9%) quality of life (24.4%), lifestyle (17.8%) children (18.9%) dissatisfaction with government (14.4%) environment (13.3%) family in New Zealand (13.3%) weather (12.2%) desire for adventure/change (11.1%) cost of living (11.1%) crime (8.9%) inability to afford homeownership (8.9%) No one listed career, jobs or money.
What has been the most difficult part of the process of leaving? extended family (34.4%), logistical/application demands (21%), waiting/uncertainty (13%), leaving friends (12%) getting in-laws to understand that it will happen, despite their animosity towards our decision What has been the most positive part of the process of leaving? novelty (24%), adventure (15%), support of family (13%), children (9%) The excitement of experiencing new things Becoming closer as a family Open Questions
Policy Implications The Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 Gray area of whether forums are informal settings? Exempt or not? Need for information/support Create moderated forums on the Immigration NZ site? 24 hour free hotline? Provide tips on dealing with those family members left behind? Return/Onward Migration: Expectation management For migrants: take off the rose-tinted glasses For media/government: return/onward migration is a natural part of the process, especially since these people are novelty seekers. Leaving a door open- even those leaving thought of coming back one day.
Summary Migration is a process with logistical and psychological challenges that begin predeparture, and most people considered migration for more than 2 years. Having partner/accompanying family members support is important for better wellbeing and lower stress. Extended family being left behind are a difficult part of the process of leaving, as they are more likely to be supportive for people who intend to return. Informational social support is the main function of a migration forum, within that participants are influenced by the involvement of like others and normalization of risk.
What would you like to see researched on this topic? Further research Citizenship/settlement relationship? Return migration? Pre-migration factors such as expectations or comparisons of different migrant groups?
The studies presented here are available also as manuscripts. Tabor, A. S., & Milfont, T. L. (2010). Family social support during the predeparture period: The experience of British migrants . Manuscript submitted for publication. Tabor, A. S., & Milfont, T. L. (2010). Migration change model: Exploring the process of migration on a psychological level . Manuscript submitted for publication. Tabor, A. S., & Milfont, T. L. (2010) We are on this roller coaster together: How online forums facilitate the process of migration. Manuscript submitted for publication.
References Bennett, H., & Rigby, C. (1997). The relationship between tenure, stress and coping strategies of South African immigrants to New Zealand. South African Journal of Psychology, 27 (3), 160-165. De Jong, G. (2000). Expectations, gender, and norms in migration decision-making. Population Studies, 54(3), 307-319. Department of Labour. (2009). Migration trends & outlook 2008/2009. Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Labour. Greeff, A. P., & Holtzkamp, J. (2007). The prevalence of resilience in migrant families. Family & Community Health, 30(3), 189-200. Harvey, M. (1997). Dual-career expatriates: Expectations, adjustment and satisfaction. Journal of International Business Studies, 28, 627-658. doi: 10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490114 Hiller, H. H., & McCaig, K. S. (2007). Reassessing the role of partnered women in migration decision-making and migration outcomes. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 24 (3), 457-472. doi:10.1177/0265407507077233 Konopaske, R., Robie, C., & Ivancevich, J. M. (2005). A preliminary model of spouse influence on managerial global assignment willingness The International Journal of Human Resource Managment, 16(3), 405-426. doi: 10.1080/0958519042000339570 Lauring, J., & Selmer, J. (2010). The supportive expatriate spouse: An ethnographic study of spouse involvement in expatriate careers. International Business Review, 19(1), 59-69. doi: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2009.09.006 Ong, A., & Ward, C. (2005). The construction and validation of a social support measure for sojourners: The Index of Sojourner Social Support (ISSS) Scale. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 36 , 637-661. doi:10.1177/0022022105280508 Wallis, R. (2006) Skilled Migrants in New Zealand: A Study of Settlement Outcomes. Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Labour. Ward, C., & Masgoret, A.-M. (2008). Attitudes toward immigrants, immigration, and multiculturalism in New Zealand: A social psychological analysis. International Migration Review, 42(1), 227- 249.

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British migrants to_nz

  • 1. A New Life: The Experience of British Migrants to New Zealand Aidan Tabor MSc Cross-Cultural Psychology Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural Research Victoria University of Wellington [email_address] & Prepared for The Settlement Division, Immigration New Zealand, Department of Labour Dr. Taciano L. Milfont Lecturer, School of Psychology Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural Research Victoria University of Wellington
  • 2. Overview Group of Interest Study 1: Qualitative Thematic analysis of online immigration forums for migrants to NZ Study 2: Quantitative Stress, wellbeing and social support of predeparture British migrants Policy Implications Summary
  • 3. 20,680 work permits 6,732 skilled/business applications granted 1,304 family sponsored Roughly double any other source country Historical pattern of sending migrants here Desirable group, expectations that they will fit in easily Self-selected, skilled migration (Migration Trends & Outlook 2008/2009; Ward & Masgoret, 2008) British Immigrants to New Zealand
  • 4. Study 1: Qualitative What psychological steps do individuals go through before , during and after migration? Online communities for migrants, primarily but not exclusively from the UK Balance of participation between migrants in NZ and predeparture One month timeframe: UK2NZ, ENZ and British Expats New Zealand board Thematic analysis: 1,898 data extracts in 40 codes, 5 themes
  • 5. Migration Change Model, Tabor & Milfont, 2010
  • 6. Intrapersonal factors novelty seeking adventure high risk tolerance perseverance It is all a little adventure and you wouldn't want to spend all your life in the same street, WOULD YOU? Familial connections better life for children Precontemplation: why leave the UK?
  • 7. Contemplation: Pros and Cons Macro factors crime/ geopolitical security crowding environment government control of citizens lives immigration issues within UK Micro factors lifestyle/pace of life employment Rose-tinted spectacles (optimism bias)
  • 8. Logistical and emotional demands cause stress. Our shippers are in next week, 11 more sleeps till we fly and sometimes I feelsuddenly and physically sick. I cannot wait to get on that plane! Seeking social support is a way to deal with stress. The main function of an immigration forum is to provide informational social support (61% of the dataset). Not only facts, but opinions and experiences are sought. Action: Stress & Coping
  • 9. Informational Social Support Logistics of international move (shipping, airfares, money transfers) Housing Destination selection Employment Daily life (shopping) Immigration application process Self-correcting mechanisms (Esquivel, Meric-Bernstam, & Bernstam, 2006) : the more active the forum, the more quickly errors are corrected by other members. Questions similar to those reported by Wallis (2006) Wallis (2006) Skilled Migrants in New Zealand: A Study of Settlement Outcomes
  • 10. Acculturation Little in the dataset about psychological adjustment problems (some homesickness) Only minor sociocultural adaptation problems (gravy granules and other differences in the market) Overall the picture of acculturation was very positive Nothing about other cultures encountered here- Mori or Pacific Island culture invisible?
  • 11. Return Migration Its not you, its me. People return or onward migrate because of micro factors such as family, job issues not macro factors, similar results to Shorland (2006) Complaints about: housing (rentals particularly), driving skills of New Zealanders, child abuse, work practices, and weather balsa wood houses which provide no sound insulation at all and, well, it would be quieter on the Heathrow flight path If this is failed migration it likely failed for personal reasons, though some research has pointed to barriers to employment for many migrant groups. Remember novelty seeking as a personality characteristic?
  • 12. sounds like your settling in well - i keep thinking that will be me soon!!! Normalization of risk Don't stress, it will all work out. We did pretty much exactly what you're doing. Following [forum members name] success with his application I decided to throw caution to the wind and apply online today! A community of like others Belonging: More than information sharing
  • 13. Migration Change Model, Tabor & Milfont, 2010 Study 2: Quantitative
  • 14. Immediate family support A ccompanying family members provide emotional and instrumental support upon arrival (Greeff & Holtzkamp, 2007). Trailing Spouses a reluctant spouse can mean the expatriate family returns before their assignment is over ( Harvey, 1997; Konopaske, Robie, & Ivancevich, 2005; Lauring & Selmer, 2010). Drivers of the migration decision- when one partner wants to come more than the other (De Jong, 2000, Tabor & Milfont, 2010) Q: Do differences in migration desire between partnered couples affect psychological outcomes and perceived family support?
  • 15. Extended family support: those left behind Supportive for sojourners (Ong & Ward, 2005): People planning to return are given support from those remaining at home. Problematic for permanent migrants? (Bennett & Rigby, 1997; Hiller & McCaig, 2007). South African migrants to NZ said extended family were the most difficult part of leaving. Q: Does family support (immediate and extended) affect psychological outcomes in the predeparture period?
  • 16. 95 predeparture migrants residing in UK Mean age 38.80 (SD= 9.7), 56.8% female 85.3% had partner, 57.9% had children Participant characteristics 83.2% taken a definite step to migrate (either a plane ticket or applied for residence) 77.9% consider the move permanent 63.2% considering migration for 2+ years 22% leaving in the next 3 months 21% were driving the move (8 women, 12 men) 7% trailing spouses (n=7) 56% were equal in desire to move move
  • 17. Measures Perceived Stress Scale (留 = .84) M= 15.49 (SD=6.39) WHO-Five Well-being Index (留 = .91) M= 18.47 (SD=5.56) CES-D Depression Scale (留 = .80) M= 6.91 (SD=2.29) Social Support (留 = .93 to .97) belongingness, venting, esteem, informational, instrumental, emotional support Family accompanying M=25.03 (SD=5.07) Extended family past M=19.01 (SD=6.68) Extended family after informing M=18.29 (SD=7.03)
  • 18. Findings Q: Do differences in migration desire between partnered couples affect psychological outcomes and perceived family support? A: Yes. Drivers reported less social support from accompanying family ( F (1,55)=23.65, p <.001, 侶 2 = .30) Stress higher for the drivers ( F (1,77) = 4.38, p<.05, 侶 2 = .05)
  • 19. Q: Does immediate family support affect psychological outcomes in the predeparture period? A: Yes. Family support correlated to better wellbeing ( r =.43, p<.001) lower stress ( r =-.42, p<.001) less depression ( r = -.41, p<.001) Stress relating to the move predicted wellbeing (硫 = .-.63, t(53) =-6.40, p < .001, explaining 39% of variance, R 2 = .40, F(1, 61) = 40.89, p <.001) Controlling for stress, support of accompanying family added to the model (硫 = .24, t(60) =2.23, p = .03, explaining 5% of the variance, R 2 = .205, F(1,60) = 24.28, p < .001)
  • 20. Extended family support correlated to wellbeing ( r =.28, p=.01) but not stress ( r =-.17, p= .13) or depression ( r =.01, p=n.s.) Drop in support from extended family, after informing them of the planned departure ( t (78) = 2.99, p<.01) Sojourners perceived more support from extended family than did permanent migrants ( t (76) = -2.13, p = .03). Q: Does extended family support affect psychological outcomes in the predeparture period? A: Only weakly.
  • 21. What are your main reasons for leaving the UK? crowding (28.9%) quality of life (24.4%), lifestyle (17.8%) children (18.9%) dissatisfaction with government (14.4%) environment (13.3%) family in New Zealand (13.3%) weather (12.2%) desire for adventure/change (11.1%) cost of living (11.1%) crime (8.9%) inability to afford homeownership (8.9%) No one listed career, jobs or money.
  • 22. What has been the most difficult part of the process of leaving? extended family (34.4%), logistical/application demands (21%), waiting/uncertainty (13%), leaving friends (12%) getting in-laws to understand that it will happen, despite their animosity towards our decision What has been the most positive part of the process of leaving? novelty (24%), adventure (15%), support of family (13%), children (9%) The excitement of experiencing new things Becoming closer as a family Open Questions
  • 23. Policy Implications The Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 Gray area of whether forums are informal settings? Exempt or not? Need for information/support Create moderated forums on the Immigration NZ site? 24 hour free hotline? Provide tips on dealing with those family members left behind? Return/Onward Migration: Expectation management For migrants: take off the rose-tinted glasses For media/government: return/onward migration is a natural part of the process, especially since these people are novelty seekers. Leaving a door open- even those leaving thought of coming back one day.
  • 24. Summary Migration is a process with logistical and psychological challenges that begin predeparture, and most people considered migration for more than 2 years. Having partner/accompanying family members support is important for better wellbeing and lower stress. Extended family being left behind are a difficult part of the process of leaving, as they are more likely to be supportive for people who intend to return. Informational social support is the main function of a migration forum, within that participants are influenced by the involvement of like others and normalization of risk.
  • 25. What would you like to see researched on this topic? Further research Citizenship/settlement relationship? Return migration? Pre-migration factors such as expectations or comparisons of different migrant groups?
  • 26. The studies presented here are available also as manuscripts. Tabor, A. S., & Milfont, T. L. (2010). Family social support during the predeparture period: The experience of British migrants . Manuscript submitted for publication. Tabor, A. S., & Milfont, T. L. (2010). Migration change model: Exploring the process of migration on a psychological level . Manuscript submitted for publication. Tabor, A. S., & Milfont, T. L. (2010) We are on this roller coaster together: How online forums facilitate the process of migration. Manuscript submitted for publication.
  • 27. References Bennett, H., & Rigby, C. (1997). The relationship between tenure, stress and coping strategies of South African immigrants to New Zealand. South African Journal of Psychology, 27 (3), 160-165. De Jong, G. (2000). Expectations, gender, and norms in migration decision-making. Population Studies, 54(3), 307-319. Department of Labour. (2009). Migration trends & outlook 2008/2009. Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Labour. Greeff, A. P., & Holtzkamp, J. (2007). The prevalence of resilience in migrant families. Family & Community Health, 30(3), 189-200. Harvey, M. (1997). Dual-career expatriates: Expectations, adjustment and satisfaction. Journal of International Business Studies, 28, 627-658. doi: 10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490114 Hiller, H. H., & McCaig, K. S. (2007). Reassessing the role of partnered women in migration decision-making and migration outcomes. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 24 (3), 457-472. doi:10.1177/0265407507077233 Konopaske, R., Robie, C., & Ivancevich, J. M. (2005). A preliminary model of spouse influence on managerial global assignment willingness The International Journal of Human Resource Managment, 16(3), 405-426. doi: 10.1080/0958519042000339570 Lauring, J., & Selmer, J. (2010). The supportive expatriate spouse: An ethnographic study of spouse involvement in expatriate careers. International Business Review, 19(1), 59-69. doi: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2009.09.006 Ong, A., & Ward, C. (2005). The construction and validation of a social support measure for sojourners: The Index of Sojourner Social Support (ISSS) Scale. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 36 , 637-661. doi:10.1177/0022022105280508 Wallis, R. (2006) Skilled Migrants in New Zealand: A Study of Settlement Outcomes. Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Labour. Ward, C., & Masgoret, A.-M. (2008). Attitudes toward immigrants, immigration, and multiculturalism in New Zealand: A social psychological analysis. International Migration Review, 42(1), 227- 249.

Editor's Notes

  • #14: Stress Uncertainty Logistical and financial strain Coping Who supports migrants during the process of migration?