Far away ties, never so close: the geographical spread of social support resources for mobile individuals

Abstract

Distinct ties offering diverse social support can be vital when moving to a new location. A move to another place implies significant changes in our social support network. Existing ties may be replaced, and new ties are expected to be established. This morphological change in the social support network is further altered with the prevalence of new communications media. Sustaining ties through virtual communication has resulted in transnational social support networks. It has been observed that tangible support (instrumental and social companionship) is strongly related to short distances, while intangible support (emotional and conflict) is more likely to stay intact despite the geographical distance (Dahinden 2010; Herz 2015; Mok and Wellman 2007; Ryan et al. 2008). The social support network is a great source of information for understanding how social support is derived in different mobility contexts and in different cities. This chapter examines the social support networks of foreigners living in Seville. The study is based on in-depth interviews with 95 highly qualified and skilled foreigners who lived in Seville for a minimum of six months and each of their 30 ties in their personal networks (n = 2850). The respondents were selected from four distinct communities, namely, Erasmus students, musicians for the symphonic orchestra, partners of researchers working for the European Commission (EC) and Japanese flamenco artists. These communities provided a framework of analysis, through which four types of mobility patterns allowed us to distinguish between temporary stays, with short-term return (Erasmus students), continuous displacements in itinerancy (partners of workers of the EC), recurring temporary stays (Japanese flamenco dancers) and indefinite settlement (musicians of the symphonic orchestra). Utilizing personal networks, we explore how mobility patterns can have an influence on the provision of social support.