Developing a moveable identity

[snoop1130]

Developing a moveable identity

by Carolyn Whitehouse

 

 

From the outside expatriate life can seem like a modern-day fairy tale. Weekends spend exploring foreign and exotic lands, living in large comfortable houses or apartments and being released from the chores of cleaning, can seem like paradise. If you look closer though, the reality of expatriate life and relocating to a new country every few years is filled with uncertainty, self-doubt and vulnerability.

 

Interacting with a new culture or reintegrating into your home culture involves taking on new roles, building new relationships quickly and managing a whole range of emotions from tears to anger, fear to excitement and sometimes all of them in the space of a day. Building a new identity in a new location can be a daunting task but it’s a skill that if mastered will enable you to make friends easily, become more self-assured and create a confident personal identity from which to navigate a constantly changing life, no matter where you are.

 

Who are you? 

 

How would you describe yourself? Are you young or old? Female or male? When questioned most people struggle to describe themselves. Some define themselves through their roles “I am an engineer”, “I am a mother”. Others describe how they feel about themselves through their relationships with other people, perhaps saying “I am a good friend”. How we define ourselves, our “self”, involves four key elements:

 

• The way we see ourselves 
• The way others see us 
• The roles we occupy
• Our relationships with significant others

 

In Bryson and Hoge’s book “A Portable Identity” they suggest visually drawing your “self”, in order to understand the balance of your roles and relationships. Are all your roles and relationships heavily work focused? Do you have a limited social network outside of work? How close or distant are these relationships? 

 

Moving on 

 

Taking the time to complete this picture of your “self” before you relocate can provide valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities available to you in your new destination. Reflecting on your roles and relationships will help you identify what challenges you face in your new home? How will the culture of your new home be different from where you are now and from your “home” culture? Will there be differences in how people are valued? What is the etiquette around making new friends? What will stay the same? Doing research into the culture of your new home and then reflecting on the similarities and differences will help you identify any new challenges that you may want to be prepared for once you arrive.

Being prepared for the new “norms” of your new home will allow you to develop strategies for managing them ahead of time. If for example, the city you are moving to has serious traffic problems, then making the decision to have your work, school and home close together will save a lot of frustration and possibly another move.

 

How will you maintain your close relationships with family back in your home country? Do you need to visit more often? What barriers will there be in maintaining the roles you currently have? Will you be able to work? Is your profession available? Will you need to retrain or perhaps up-skill yourself with a new language? What values are important to you? How will you ensure that you maintain those values in your new home? What issues might that raise for your children and for you as a parent? Thinking this topic through ahead of time helps to maintain the stability and security of your family even though your external environment is changing.

 

Full Story: https://expatlifeinthailand.com/expat-life/developing-a-moveable-identity/

 

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[Antonymous]

Yawn.

[Scott Tracy]

Jeepers. Really? Some got paid for writing this...this....

[Thingamabob]

Ridiculous. What a waste of space. If you want to live in a country other than your own just employ common sense, good manners, and learn the local language as best you can.