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Migrants and Life Satisfaction : The Role of the Country of Origin and the Country of Residence

Berggren, Niclas ; Bergh, Andreas LU ; Bjørnskov, Christian and Tanaka, Shiori (2020) In Kyklos 73(3). p.436-463
Abstract

We investigate how the life satisfaction of migrants is affected by life satisfaction in their background country and in their new country of residence. In particular, we contribute to the literature by differentiating between first- and second-generation immigrants and by differentiating between types of background country. Using data from the European Social Survey on 30,000 immigrants from 200 countries in 32 European countries, we find that for first-generation immigrants, the effect of the average life satisfaction of the background country is strong for migrants from developed countries, smaller for migrants from developing countries and zero for migrants from post-communist countries. Moreover, the effect from the country of... (More)

We investigate how the life satisfaction of migrants is affected by life satisfaction in their background country and in their new country of residence. In particular, we contribute to the literature by differentiating between first- and second-generation immigrants and by differentiating between types of background country. Using data from the European Social Survey on 30,000 immigrants from 200 countries in 32 European countries, we find that for first-generation immigrants, the effect of the average life satisfaction of the background country is strong for migrants from developed countries, smaller for migrants from developing countries and zero for migrants from post-communist countries. Moreover, the effect from the country of residence is strong for all groups, indicating that while most of these immigrants retain ties to or are still under the influence of the culture of the old country, they develop important ties to the new country. However, second-generation immigrants are not influenced by the life-satisfaction of the background country at all, indicating that they are strongly attuned to life in the country in which they were born.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Kyklos
volume
73
issue
3
pages
28 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85081723201
ISSN
0023-5962
DOI
10.1111/kykl.12225
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4d895caa-af2e-4074-9414-acbe001cc04f
date added to LUP
2020-04-15 15:14:13
date last changed
2022-04-18 21:45:44
@article{4d895caa-af2e-4074-9414-acbe001cc04f,
  abstract     = {{<p>We investigate how the life satisfaction of migrants is affected by life satisfaction in their background country and in their new country of residence. In particular, we contribute to the literature by differentiating between first- and second-generation immigrants and by differentiating between types of background country. Using data from the European Social Survey on 30,000 immigrants from 200 countries in 32 European countries, we find that for first-generation immigrants, the effect of the average life satisfaction of the background country is strong for migrants from developed countries, smaller for migrants from developing countries and zero for migrants from post-communist countries. Moreover, the effect from the country of residence is strong for all groups, indicating that while most of these immigrants retain ties to or are still under the influence of the culture of the old country, they develop important ties to the new country. However, second-generation immigrants are not influenced by the life-satisfaction of the background country at all, indicating that they are strongly attuned to life in the country in which they were born.</p>}},
  author       = {{Berggren, Niclas and Bergh, Andreas and Bjørnskov, Christian and Tanaka, Shiori}},
  issn         = {{0023-5962}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{436--463}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Kyklos}},
  title        = {{Migrants and Life Satisfaction : The Role of the Country of Origin and the Country of Residence}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/kykl.12225}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/kykl.12225}},
  volume       = {{73}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}