Title
The research topic chosen for this dissertation is the experiences of people who were born overseas and moved to settle down in Australia for various reasons. The experiences of those individuals would be looked at from a neutral point of view within the migrating process. Taking the theme of the research topic into consideration and the various aspects related to it, the title of “Migrating to Australia: Personal Experiences” has been judged as the most appropriate and reflects the contents of the paper distinctly.
Research Questions/ Topic
The research looks at the overall migrating process in the Australian context. The most significant question the research intends to address is that what are the general occurrences that an immigrant moving to Australia experiences and how their life is impacted upon the completion of the immigration process. In addition, the research looks into the impacts of the various immigration processes on the Australian state of affairs.
Secondarily, the research scrutinizes the various elements within the immigration system which works in favor of or possibly against the individuals going through the migration process. Intricacies involved in various aspects of immigrations like corporate immigration, general skilled migration, migration for international students, partner migration, family migration and business oriented immigration will also be looked at. The administrative policies for refugees and immigrants and their implications for immigrants shall be examined. (IOM 2005)
Background Statement
The Commonwealth of Australia is a nation located in the southern hemisphere consisting of the mainland that is famous for the fact that it is the world’s smallest continent besides being the largest inhabited island on the planet. The country is comprised of the most important island of Tasmania, and several other smaller islands in the Indian as well as Pacific Oceans. Technologically sophisticated and developed, Australia boasts of being a flourishing multicultural realm and exhibits outstanding results in many global comparisons of state performance in the fields of health care, life expectancy, humanitarian development, quality-of-life, public edification, economic autonomy and the safeguard of civil rights and political privileges.
Australian towns and cities in addition regularly rank among the world’s premier in terms of livability, cultural enrichment, and quality of life. Given the fact that Australia possesses such diverse resources for the development of the human race and advancement of man as a social being, many individuals aspire to dwell in such a prosperous nation for various reasons with the improvement of quality of life being the foremost.
Progressing through the ages within the ‘new world’, Australia possesses a dynamic migration initiative from the time of the white settlement. At the moment, just about a quarter of the citizens constituting the Australian population were born overseas. The experience of resettling as an immigrant forms a significant element of the Australian story. (IOM 2005)
For a considerable amount of time now, from the time of the Second World War, nearly one-half of Australia’s population growth can be accredited to the migration phenomenon. In spite of the immense significance of immigration in the Australian context, it was not until in recent times that the data and facts were available that facilitates a superior understanding of the experience of immigrants in reconciling into a new country of habitation. In addition there not been substantial evidence from which to appraise the impacts of settlement and as a whole the Australian migration guidelines and services.
The recent past has also witnessed some changes in Australia’s attitude towards migration. Policy modifications have taken place in which there have been substantial changes in migrant selection criteria and procedure.
A Federal Government suggestion was put up in 2006 to bring in an obligatory citizenship examination, which would evaluate English skills and awareness of Australian principles. It led to a much popular deliberation over the prospect of the multiculturalism concept in the country. In the month of January of 2007 the Australian regime distanced itself from the word “multicultural” in the name of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, and renamed the division as the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. The Australian citizenship examination was brought into existence from October 2007 for all new residents between the ages of 18 and 60.
Significance Statement
In light of events and circumstance that have been mentioned in the previous section, evaluating the experience of the migrants attains immense significance. Understanding the attitudes and choices of the migrants, elements favorable and drawbacks in the Australian migration system can be beneficial for both the migrants as well as the administration. Migration plays a very important role in the population growth of in particular some developed countries.
Australia being one of the most technologically advanced and a much industrialized nation is no exception. The demographics of the nation are in some ways modified, altered or changed to some extent due to migration. It also has a considerable impact on the political as well as economical faces of the nation. Changes in administrative policies are reflected directly in the rate and quality of migration. Thus carrying out an investigation of this nature is extremely important as well as beneficial for the migrant community and the social structure of the nation. (Hall 2006)
Aims and Objectives
The main objective of the research is to analyze the various personal experiences of the migrants and judge their level of satisfaction in the context of the Australian migration system. The study intends to scrutinize the elements of migration mechanism within their scope of operations. The impact of the phenomenon with regards to the demographic, political and economic structure of Australia will also be analyzed.
The study also aims at taking an in-depth look at the circumstances that promote or hinder the process of migration. It also aims at providing a comparison between the past and the present reflecting the changes in the immigration system, attitudes of the migrants and the position assumed by the Australian administration. The accounts of the migrants would be able to demonstrate the statistical impact of the process on the social framework of the nation. On the whole the study would serve as a frame of reference against which the policies and attitude of the administration can be assessed and evaluated and provide an account of the level of satisfaction among migrants. (Jordan 2003)
Theoretical Framework
The theme of the study entails that the aspects which reflect the extent of success of the immigration process are investigated thoroughly. The experiences of migrants would have to be examined in a two-fold method. The first aspect would be able to reflect the social aspects of the process. The second dimension would be reveals the larger picture in terms of the impacts of the policy changes and overall economic and demographic implications of the phenomenon.
The measures which determine the social consequences of the migration framework in terms of the quality of life of the migrants are employment, income, household expenditure, housing conditions and other social indicators such as the opinions about living standards, involvement in the community, and awareness about the multicultural policy. Other important factors to be considered with regards to the present immigration machinery are English proficiency and qualification of the migrants, economic implications of the migration process, sponsorship of aids and relatives. The experiences of the immigrants would be judged on the degree of satisfaction they exhibit with reference to their life experience in Australia. (IOM 2005)
Research Design
A mixed approach towards the act of obtaining data would be the most appropriate in the sense that quantitative as well as qualitative methods can be both utilized to arrive at a conclusion. Quantitative data relating to the population growth, economic effects and demographic variables should be accessed through administrative machinery such as census reports, national fiscal documents etc. The qualitative aspect of data collection is significant in particular for this study as it explores the personal experiences of migrants. These data should be obtained by adhering to an intricate framework. Firstly, the migrant expat community must be identified.
Secondly, the program team should draft a carefully designed questionnaire. The questionnaires should be then distributed through efficient channels to carry out the survey. Data should be also collected by means of extensive personal interviews which should be documented on tape.
The sample population has two be divided into two sections. The first section would consist of migrants who have been settled in Australia for more than 15 years. The second sections would consist of the migrant populations who have spent less than 15 years in the country. This division is done with the rationale of comparing the past and present migration conditions and its implications for the migration framework. The qualitative data should be then quantified using statistical measures for further analysis and evaluations. (Rigby 2005)
Ethical Considerations
Ethical aspects of the study are a significant feature of the study. The primary concern this kind of a study is the impact of racism. There’s in all probability no place on the planet that is entirely liberated of the evils of racism. However the degree of impacts on the society and severity of the issues are important considerations of the study. The study also looks at the administrations initiatives while dealing with refuges as to some extent it impacts the administrations attitude towards immigrants. In order to ensure that issues like these do not impact the outcome of the study the study must be carried out in a neutral environment with even representations of whites, migrants and aboriginals in the research team.
Dissemination of Findings
It is almost certain that social measures to judge quality of life amongst migrants would receive positive responses. In particular appreciatively lower rates of crime, multicultural values and religious tolerance are aspects which will receive considerable acknowledgements from migrants. However, employment, household income and expenditures are key factors to be examined in the context of successful migration. Also English speaking skills, qualifications and other such factors are expected to be better in the second segment of the sample population who are settled in Australia for less than 15 years. However, in terms of social, economic and political existence the satisfaction of the migrants with regards to their expatriate lives is to be determined. (Hall 2006)
Sample Time Frame and Budget
Considering the complexities and intricacies involved in this study it has to be mentioned that it is a considerably sizable undertaking. Thus the budget for this project needs careful planning and deliberation so that an optimum resource utilization scheme can be drafted out. Also the time frame of the research should be well outlined and deadlines must be set for timely completion. As per estimates, the research would require the sanctioning of 10000 USD and an eight month time frame for successful completion. (Rigby 2005)
Bibliography
Hall, T 2006, Urban Geography, Contemporary Human Geography Series, 3rd Ed, & Francis Routledge, London, New York.
IOM 2005, World Migration 2005: Costs and Benefits of International Migration, International Organization for Migration, Geneva.
Jordan, Bill 2003, Migration: the boundaries of equality and justice, Wiley-Blackwell, London.
Rigby, B 2005, Design of Research, 4Th Ed., Taylor & Francis Routledge, New York.