Mobility and Inclusion

Abstract

Individuals and families relocate from one region of the world to another for many reasons (e.g., financial opportunity, work or military assignment, family reunion, or escape from war, political unrest or natural disaster). All globally mobile new settlers, however, must negotiate the often daunting challenge of integrating into that new home region. Inclusion occurs when all members of a social group are allowed and encouraged to fully engage in the life of that social group and share their diverse talents, worldviews, and backgrounds. In this chapter, we discuss some of the most crucial factors that affect a new settler's experience of inclusion (or lack thereof). These factors range from the personal (e.g., prior mobility experience) to the situational (e.g., community composition, public opinion toward immigration) to the interaction between the two (e.g., cultural and linguistic similarity between the new settler and the host country). We argue that inclusion requires a joint commitment from both the new settler and the communities that make up her new home, and that such inclusion is likely to be at once challenging and rewarding. We close by highlighting suggestions for public policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)