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Life satisfaction across cultures: a case of recent refugee arrivals in Australia

Life satisfaction across cultures: a case of recent refugee arrivals in Australia. Val Colic-Peisker Senior Research Fellow AHURI, School of Global Studies, Social Science and Planning Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

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Life satisfaction across cultures: a case of recent refugee arrivals in Australia

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  1. Life satisfaction across cultures: a case of recent refugee arrivals in Australia Val Colic-Peisker Senior Research Fellow AHURI, School of Global Studies, Social Science and Planning Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

  2. 3-year ARC Discovery project Refugee and employment: the effect of visibility on discrimination (2004-2006) RMIT University

  3. ): Three refugee groups: Ex-Yugoslavs (Bosnians) black Africans Middle-East (Iraqis): 'visibly different' from the white-Anglo majority of Australians RMIT University

  4. Data collection • Survey of 150 refugees: 50 questionnaire-based face-to-face interviews with respondents from each of the three groups • 4 focus groups with key informants • 9 follow-up in-depth interviews with key informants • Interviews with 40 Australian employers RMIT University

  5. Refugee participants: • WITH SKILLS • WITH FUNCTIONAL ENGLISH • IN AUSTRALIA FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS (median length of residence 8/7/5 years respectively) RMIT University

  6. Data analysis • Combining QUALITATIVE (content analysis, discourse analysis) and QUANTITATIVE techniques (descriptive and inferential statistics, correlations, regression analysis) • Do poor employment outcomes translate into low life satisfaction? RMIT University

  7. EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF OUR SAMPLE (%, N=50x3) RMIT University

  8. Employment niches for refugees: ‘secondary labour market’ (80% works below qualifications) • Cleaning • Security • Aged care • Meat and food processing • Farm work • Taxi driving • [Settlement assistance / interpreting] RMIT University

  9. Domains of settlement success / life satisfaction RMIT University

  10. Predictors of life satisfaction • Ex-Yugoslavs: job satisfaction & acculturation • Africans: social support & financial satisfaction • Middle Easterners: financial satisfaction & adaptation RMIT University

  11. A comparison with the life satisfaction of the general population • Life satisfaction of Australians (and population of other Western countries) has been measured to be about 75% SM (scale maximum) over the past decade (Cummins 1996, 2000) • Our refugee sample had life satisfaction of 64.6% SM. Broken down by group, Bosnians are the most satisfied with the score of 69.6% SM, while Africans and Iraqis have 62 SM and 62.3% SM respectively (Bosnians: an older and predominantly female sample) RMIT University

  12. POINTS OF INTERPRETATION • In spite of difficulties, loss of occupational status and on average low socio-economic status, most people express relative satisfaction with their life in Australia • The experience of ‘street discrimination’ is not related to general satisfaction • Those discriminated against still felt Australia is a fair country • Employment status did not significantly impact on life satisfaction • The perception of discrimination in the job market did impact on life satisfaction RMIT University

  13. Points of interpretations drawn from the follow-up interviews • For many people, peace and safety is the main concern • During early resettlement, welfare dependency or underemployment may not (yet) be hard to bear • A comparison with the pre-resettlement situation and with members of one’s community (and those in the home country) yields relatively high overall satisfaction • Satisfaction in being able to help relatives overseas • They feel like guests – no sense of social entitlement in Australia • They are afraid / uncomfortable to state dissatisfaction • A strong pragmatic focus and resilience RMIT University

  14. Concluding methodological points of caution • Our sample is not representative of refugee communities (only skilled people) • Life satisfaction, with its ‘components’ and measurement, is a western concept – it may not work that well cross-culturally • This is a picture of recent refugee arrivals – things may change later RMIT University

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