By George Awalla (georgeawalla@gmail.com )
Are
people happier when they move to another country? Migration and happiness hasn’t
been studied much. The few available studies have concentrated mainly in the
developed countries. The World
Migration Report 2013 (WMR 2013) released by the International Organization
of Migration (IOM) was a whiff of fresh air. It is a candid and lively report
that shows that most migrants find themselves in a situation of lowered social
status when they move. They generally
remain less happy than the native population even many years after migration.
Some migrants —despite being economically
successful — may nevertheless find their relative position in the destination country
lower than it was in their country of origin. Those with good educational
qualifications and careers prior to migration may find that these achievements
are not recognized in the destination countries. They may encounter
discrimination and language barrier. Separation
from family and the challenge of adjusting to a new culture also leads to lower
levels of happiness as compared to the native population.
Comparing
happiness levels among migrants and native population in destination countries
is perhaps not the best way of assessing whether migrants’ happiness has
changed as a consequence of moving to another country. Apart from anything
else, there may be engrained differences in the happiness levels of populations
in different countries which could skew findings. The well-being of migrant
families back at home contributes to the migrant’s happiness levels abroad. The
circumstances that led to migration are also critical in regards to well-being
or happiness of the migrant. Refugees and displaced persons find bigger
challenges to surmount than individuals who migrate by choice, for economic
reasons or pleasure.
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| Migration and happiness: Does happiness levels differ for migrants from developed and developing countries (Image Credit. www. timesofisrael.com) |
WMR 2013
reaffirms the divide between the rich and poor: the North - South divide.
Whether migration improves well-being depends on where the migrants come from
and where they go to. Migrants moving from North-North appear to have the
easiest experience. These migrants have the most positive outcomes in multiple
dimensions for well-being, such as life satisfaction, emotional positivity,
financial security, personal safety, community attachment and health.
By
contrast, South-South migrants appear to face more significant challenges, they
are the least optimistic about their lives and find it difficult to achieve as
satisfactory standard of living. Furthermore, migration seems to make little
difference to them financially. These migrants tend to lack confidence in the
institution of the country they have moved to and tend to be troubled by their
health — personal safety and health are major concerns for them.
Those
migrating from North–South enjoy greater financial prowess; most of them are
retirees or those who want to establish businesses in warmer climates as a
safety net for old age. They also struggle to make the transition but they
nevertheless end up better off financially having migrated than those who
stayed home.
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| South-south migrants face alot of challenges and hence are less happy than North-North migrants (Image Credit: www.usatoday.com) |
As
the sun sets on the MDGs and rises on the Sustainable Development Goals post
2015, there is growing debate on whether and how migration gets integrated into
the development agenda within the new global framework. A much stronger
evidence base is needed to understand better the linkages between migration,
development and happiness. The World Migration Report 2013 recommends the
development of an ongoing ‘Global Migration Barometer’ survey to regularly
monitor the well-being and happiness of migrants across the globe. It would be
nice to migrate if you know the facts.
Researchers
have also shown deep interest in exploring how income affects happiness or
personal wellbeing. Some researchers contend that – at least above a certain
threshold – an ever-higher income contributes little to happiness. Findings from the Organisation
for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the UK Government’s
Measuring National Wellbeing Programme (MNW) found that despite the increasing financial
hardships since the 2008 economic crisis, levels of self-reported life
satisfaction have remained broadly stable throughout the last decade.
It
is not the absolute purchasing power of income that matters, but the way it
embodies and signals status. Those with higher incomes are happier than those
with less, partly due to ‘social comparisons’ — the ability to compare
favourably with others, and to enjoy a perceived higher status. Researchers
have also found that comparisons tend to be relatively ‘local’; people compare
their wealth and status with people around them, rather than with those from
different contexts or countries.
Inspirational
thinking is another factor. People continue to pursue higher income whether
poor or relatively well off (rich).
Those who gain higher incomes soon start to compare themselves with
those in a higher income bracket instead of gaining satisfaction. The ‘keeping
up with Joneses’ mentality quietly
creeps in, and the desire for ever more income becomes insatiable, and the
individuals revert back to previous levels of wellbeing and happiness.
In
the development context, these studies suggest a broad alignment between Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) and happiness — for instance, Western Europe is higher
up the scale than Africa – but correlation is not absolute and there are
anomalies with developing countries, such as, India and Mexico being similar to or higher than Japan
in their happiness ranking. In 2010, Easterlin R.A and fellow researchers wrote
a scientific paper
titled The Happiness – Income Paradox
Revisited that was published by
the National Academy of Sciences. The
researchers said that over the long term (more than 10 years), economic growth
does not bring greater happiness. China, in particular, reportedly has
massively grown in GDP in recent times but happiness has remained unchanged.
In
2003, immediately after the NARC government came to power, Kenyans were
reported to be happier and more optimistic although there was neither a
significant change in the shillings in their pockets nor plates of ugali in their homes. Next door,
Tanzania has seen relative growth in happiness despite little or no significant
economic growth.
Although
there is contradictory evidence from different studies, the overriding message
seems to be the same; as far as the world’s poor countries are concerned,
economic development is a prerequisite in terms of meeting the basic needs and
rights of citizens and enabling them to lead fulfilled lives with greater
happiness and well-being.
Other
well researched dimensions of happiness include health, social networks,
familial relations and employment.
Having a job, a spouse or a partner are particularly important happiness
factors as well as participating in social activities. Being religious is good
for happiness; it may be cool. Another key determinant is the perception that
one’s health is good (subjective health). Age is also a critical factor –
younger people are happiest, followed by old people. Mid-life seems to be a
crisis period – long drawn sulky faces.
No doubt happiness is a combination of both intrinsic and external
factors.
About
the author
Mr. George Awalla is the Head of
Programmes at VSO Jitolee,
an affiliate of the international VSO Federation whose prime mandate is to promote
volunteerism in tackling global poverty as well as enhancing the participation
of disadvantaged members of the society in political and socio-economic
development. He is also a social commentator and a columnist with the Governor
Magazine; a monthly publication that covers county issues with a fresh
perspective
