Adaptation of migrants, 1979-1982: File 82b

A sample of families from several European countries were studied by questionnaire in 1979 at the time they appeared for interview with immigration officers in various Australian consulates, and again in 1981 and 1982 following their arrival in Australia. The main concerns of the study were the correlates of adaptive success. The 1979 questionnaire included measures of family structure, interpersonal and community relations, socio- economic status and psychological distress. Over half of this sample replied to a one page mail questionnaire following their arrival in Australia, giving brief information about home ownership, occupational status of the head of household, group membership, use of medical services, pleasant and unpleasant experiences in Australia. The major post-migration interview in 1982 included measures of: the respondent's satisfaction with life circumstances, friends, community, possessions, family, spouse, children, job, school, recreation, housework and national government; improved circumstances through immigration; subjective wellbeing; judged interpersonal traits; and acculturation. Acquaintances of the respondent provided measures of self-esteem, adaptability, inter- personal competence and symptoms of strain. Co-workers provided appraisals of the respondent's performance on the job. Schools in which children were enrolled gave information about the student's performance in school. Judgements of neighbourhood prestige and average cost of a three-bedroom home in that neighbourhood were obtained from real estate agents, and the investigators rated the size and condition of the respondent's home and the condition of the adjacent homes. Most of the same questions were asked of a sample of native Australian families living in Sydney and Canberra for comparison with the new migrants. The 1982 questionnaire was pilot tested on a sample of migrant families in Canberra in 1981.

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