"Our riches are our family", the changing family dynamics & social capital for new migrant families in Australia.

Nidhi Wali,Andre M N Renzaho,Valerio Capraro

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0209421

Abstract

Immigration from collectivist cultures to Western countries often results in loss of social capital and changing family dynamics leading to isolation and acculturative stress. This study explored the impact of social and cultural changes experienced by seven migrant communities residing in Greater Western Sydney, Australia. It deconstructed the role of local community and networks in their initial settlement in absence of traditional forms of community support. Data were collected through fourteen focus group discussions (164 participants). Five major themes emerged: (i) changing gender roles and women empowerment; (ii) sending money home; (iii) culture shock and increased intercultural conflict; (iv) change in lifestyle from collective to individual culture; and (v) role of extended community in mitigating culture shock. These findings suggest that community interventions aimed at improving cultural and social engagement of migrants employ social capital framework. This will ensure enhanced communication within migrant families and communities from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

Highlights

Migration is a complex phenomenon and is associated with a range of challenges of adapting and settling in the new environment and culture [1,2,3]
Through the social capital lens, the aim of the study was threefold: 1) to understand the impact of social and cultural changes on migrants settlement trajectory; 2) to explore how migrants cope with changing dynamics within the family unit and the loss of traditional forms of community support; and, 3) to examine the role of social capital in the settlement experiences of migrants and their families
Female participants across most of the focus groups had feelings of empowerment and freedom being in Australia because they felt less restricted and more independent in the new culture

Summary

Introduction

Migration is a complex phenomenon and is associated with a range of challenges of adapting and settling in the new environment and culture [1,2,3]. Over the past few decades transnational migration from non-Western and non-English speaking societies to industrialised Western societies of the United States, Australia, Canada and Europe has become increasingly common [4,5,6]. In 2015 the number of persons living outside their country of birth voluntarily for economic reasons or because of conflicts was estimated at 244 million (or 3.3 percent of the world’s population) worldwide and more than two thirds of all international migrants were found to live in high-income countries. Australia is one of the high-income developed countries that accepts a significant number of migrants. The 2011 census data show that 28.2 percent of the Australian population were born overseas and 67 percent of recent arrivals speak a language other than English at home. The changing family dynamics & social capital for new migrant families in Australia

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