Existential migration is a term coined by Greg Madison (2006) in ''Existential Analysis'', the journal of the

Society for Existential Analysis A society is a Social group, group of individuals involved in persistent Social relation, social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same Politics, political authority an ...

. Madison's term describes

expatriates An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...

(voluntary emigrants) who supposedly have an "existential" motivation to travel, unlike

economic migration An economic migrant is someone who emigrates from one region to another, including crossing international borders, seeking an improved standard of living, because the conditions or job opportunities in the migrant's own region are insufficient. Th ...

, simple

wanderlust Wanderlust is a strong desire to wander or travel and explore the world. Etymology The first documented use of the term in English occurred in 1902 as a reflection of what was then seen as a characteristically German predilection for wandering ...

exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

, or variations of

forced migration Forced displacement (also forced migration) is an involuntary or coerced movement of a person or people away from their home or home region. The UNHCR defines 'forced displacement' as follows: displaced "as a result of persecution, conflict, g ...

. ‘Existential migration’ is conceived as a chosen attempt to express something fundamental about existence by leaving one's

homeland A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethni ...

and becoming a foreigner.

Research

As well as the new concept of existential migration, the research proposed a novel definition of ''home as interaction''; that the ‘feeling of home’ arises from specific interactions with our surroundings that could potentially occur anywhere, at any time. This is in contrast to the usual definition of home as a fixed geographical place. The new concept also challenges our usual definitions of being at home, the experience of foreignness, what constitutes belonging, and the nature of homelessness. The insights gained from this new concept elaborate our existing understanding of migration in exciting ways. Existential migration suggests reformulations of the psychological underpinnings of migration studies,

cultural anthropology Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans. It is in contrast to social anthropology, which perceives cultural variation as a subset of a posited anthropological constant. The portma ...

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

studies,

cross-cultural training Intercultural learning is an area of research, study and application of knowledge about different cultures, their differences and similarities. On the one hand, it includes a theoretical and academic approach (see e.g. Developmental Model of Interc ...

refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

studies, and

psychotherapy Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...

. Madison's research presents its subject matter in a clear and evocative way, emphasising the actual stories of voluntary migrants in order to convey the poignancy of the topic. The phenomenological research that gave rise to the concept of existential migration (Madison, 2006) also suggests a cautionary note regarding the psychological impact of increasing

globalisation Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...

. While globalisation is frequently presented as an economic evolution of

capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for Profit (economics), profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, pric ...

and as a market necessity, there is scant discourse about the impact that these profound changes in world structure may have upon the experience of people in their daily lives. Although the phenomenological research on voluntary migration needs further critique, the first research does suggest that the

world community The term world community is used primarily in political and humanitarian contexts to describe an international aggregate of nation states of widely varying types. In most connotations, the term is used to convey meanings attached to consensus or ...

may in fact be entering an age of global

homelessness Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

. Of course recent economic turbulence has curtailed the increasing expectation that young professionals should be prepared to live abroad in order to enhance their

career The career is an individual's metaphorical "journey" through learning, work and other aspects of life. There are a number of ways to define career and the term is used in a variety of ways. Definitions The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' defin ...

prospects and indeed many, especially in the financial sector, are unexpectedly returning home after foreign assignments. However, even these returns home are often more problematic than expected and rather than return, they seem to resemble yet another migration due to the subsequent changes in person and home environment since the original leaving. The concept of existential migration has generated considerable comment from voluntary migrants around the world as well as psychological and

social science Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of soc ...

researchers, though there remains precious little in print about these fundamental existential motivations for migration. The concept has commonalities with some of the work on

cosmopolitanism Cosmopolitanism is the idea that all human beings are members of a single community. Its adherents are known as cosmopolitan or cosmopolite. Cosmopolitanism is both prescriptive and aspirational, believing humans can and should be " world citizens ...

by the anthropologist Nigel Rapport. A book on the subject, entitled ''The End of Belonging'', is available publicly. The research is increasingly cited by new international researchers and artists exploring the experience of voluntary migration.

References

* Hayes, Helen (2008) (Be)coming Home: An Existential Perspective on Migration, Settlement and the Meanings of Home. ''Existential Analysis'', 18.1: 2-16 * Madison, Greg (2006) Existential Migration. ''Existential Analysis'', 17.2: 238-60 * Madison, Greg (2007) Unsettling Thought. ''Existential Analysis'', 18.2: 220-29 * Existential Migration (March 2008) Coaching Matters, Issue 6, page 5{{clarify, date=August 2013 * Existential Migration. Voluntary Migrants' Experiences of Not Being-at-home in the World Madison, Greg (2010) Lambert Academic Press. * End of Belonging. Untold Stories of Leaving Home and the psychology of Globalization. Madison, Greg (2009).

External links

* Is Travel an Existential Need? (July 7, 2009) "Matador Network" http://matadorabroad.com/existential-migration-is-travel-an-existential-need/ * Expat Identity (January 25, 2010) "The South African" http://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/expat-identity-are-you-an-“existential-migrant”.htm * Kelly's Heroes (of the existential type): A phenomenological study into the experience of “existential migration” Chris Neill 2008 * http://www.saybrook.edu/newexistentialists/posts/08-12-14 Human migration

Migration Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration * Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another ** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...

Itinerant living Modern nomads Expatriates Diaspora studies

Research

See also

References

External links