The psychology of emigration - Unit 14

C1 Advanced · Cross Text Multiple Matching · Complete Advanced, Cambridge University Press

You are going to read four extracts by psychologists discussing emigration. For questions 1–4, choose from the extracts A-D. The extracts may be chosen more than once.

Typically, when someone begins their new life overseas, it soon becomes clear how they had taken for granted the ease with which they moved through their previous day-to-day existence. Moving to an entirely new country, where interpersonal support networks are suddenly lacking or even non-existent, can easily turn life upside down, hence the perfectly reasonable urge to form immediate relationships with local people and establish that support in the surrounding area. The person will then experience a period of constructive growth, through exposure to new customs and conventions, questioning their own, homegrown values, which are either rejected or strengthened. Given this, those who find socialising with strangers a chore – or even a source of anxiety – may find integration particularly challenging, and they should reflect seriously on whether moving abroad is truly right for them. Similarly, someone assuming that emigration will pose challenges as straightforward as those faced while visiting a region or country, purely and simply for leisure purposes, is greatly mistaken.

Often, people mistakenly believe that the knowledge gained from a particular lived experience is transferable to all other seemingly comparable situations. A prime example is found in the case of moving overseas: those relying solely on their extensive familiarity with international tourism are regularly shocked by the difficulties that a permanent move brings. Such a reliance is naive at best, and ignores the exhaustive wealth of information and opportunity available online to prepare oneself for a major life change. Contact with local residents can be made through message boards or social media sites, creating a ready-made safety net on arrival. With this in place, the worry about making new acquaintances vanishes, allowing new contexts to encourage self-reflection instead. At home, people are often unwilling to question whether their beliefs are truly their own, or are in fact a product of their surroundings. Living overseas makes avoiding this question impossible; it must be tackled head-on.

Studies have long investigated the decision-making processes that drive a person to emigrate, and there is sufficient data available to anticipate confidently the psychological challenges that it will bring. Without question, someone moving overseas is bound to undergo a re-evaluation of whether they truly are who they believe themselves to be, or merely a product of their upbringing, and this is fundamental to the successful transition into a new life. There are other generalisations we might choose to make, of course. Generally, those naturally inclined to embrace the opportunity to bond with unfamiliar people in new situations are likely to find relocation far less challenging than those without such qualities. Interestingly, the former are commonly individuals who have spent prolonged periods of time touring through other nations, since doing so establishes the foundations that ensure a comfortable adjustment to a permanent move.

Many of those who move abroad assume that any earlier, frequent passages through passport control in miscellaneous countries will somehow magically guarantee a flawless transition from home to adopted nation. Undoubtedly, after any permanent relocation, there is an initial settling-in period, during which time the novelty of the situation inspires them to deal efficiently with any barriers put in front of them. These could be social or linguistic, and affect everyone, regardless of their character. However, at some point, conversations with the locals will seem to change, the result of a growing tendency in the migrant to read between the lines of what is being said, questioning whether they themselves have, and have been, truly understood. While reflecting on such matters is necessary, and key to improving interpersonal communication, problems inevitably arise if doing so prompts a complete internal re-evaluation of their sense of identity.

Which person expresses a similar view to C on how someone's personality can increase the likelihood of a successful relocation?

Which person has a different opinion to the others regarding the benefit of self-analysis while living in a new culture?

Which person expresses a different view to the others about how useful prior experience of travel is likely to be?

Which person makes a similar point to B about taking advantage of opportunities for social interaction?

The psychology of emigration

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