26 April 2019 - 28 April 2019
Bangkok, Thailand
Sustaining quality of life
Families in Global Transition (NIST) is a forum for globally mobile individuals, families, and those working with them. It promotes cross-sector connections for sharing research and developing best practices that support the growth, success and well-being of people crossing cultures around the world. The 2019 conference theme "Connect. Lead. Change." welcomes new perspectives to inspire and support people in transition.
IIASA researcher Anastasia Aldelina Lijadi will present a recent paper entitled "Sustaining quality of life: Narrative from self-initiated repatriated families with third culture kids" at this conference. Lijadi joined the World Population (POP) Program as Research Scholar in September 2017. She is part of the team working under a 2017 ERC grant to make an unconventional cross-disciplinary contribution to advancing the discussion around and search for broadly acceptable and empirically measurable quantitative indicators of socioeconomic progress and long-term human well-being that can serve as criteria for judging sustainable development.
For more information please visit the event website.
Abstract
Sustaining quality of life: Narrative from self-initiated repatriated families with third culture kids
At some point of their life, expatriates face the choice of remaining abroad (if they are allowed and financially secured to stay) or return home (completed or termination of overseas assignment, retirement age, personal and family related reasons). This study explore the quality of life of expatriate family after repatriation using the framework of Bowen’s family systems theory. The dynamics of family as a system is influenced by the behavior pattern of individuals within that system. Once there is a discrepancy in the behaviour of the individual(s) within the family in response to event - such as repatriation - the equilibrium of the family maybe threatened. Narratives from 62 self initiated expatriate families with children who repatriated after 10 or more years abroad provide insights into sustaining quality of life on return. Besides reverse culture shocks, repatriation causes low job satisfaction, frustration among the trailing spouses, academic and adjustment for children, and multiple adjustment challenges for multicultural spouses. Findings show that modalities for maintaining family equilibrium in the home country include open-mindedness, connectedness, sense of community and local language fluency.
Research at IIASA's World Population Program
PUBLICATIONS
RESEARCH PARTNERS