A person’s worldview in the context of personal development and how he functions in society is influenced by three major factors: 1) age; 2) gender; and 3) the socio-economic forces that are shaping his or her environment. The proponent of the study was able to interview two respondents. The first one is a female named Nessrine, and a second respondent is a Vietnamese man named Hoa. The proponent of the study decided to focus on the personal circumstances and preoccupation of Nessrine and Hoa due to fact that they belong to the same age range that is suited for the design of the scientific inquiry in the context of occupational therapy.
Nessrine and Hoa are now adults, and they are transitioning into the next phase of life. In addition, they share common experiences when it comes to their migrant status as they need to temporarily stay in Australia to fulfill certain duties and obligations. A careful analysis of the activities and the struggles that Hoa and Nessrine experienced in Australia was the outcome of a shared desire for personal improvement as well as a shared positive outlook regarding their retirement years. Nevertheless, age and their respective personal belief systems played a major role in their decision to take on certain tasks and to go through a difficult process in order to ensure a better future for their families.
Personal Background
There is significant common ground between Nessrine and Hoa. First of all, they are not permanent residents of Australia. In a few years time, they are expected to heed back home to their place of birth. Hoa will return to Vietnam and Nessrine will reunite with her husband, who is currently living in the Middle East. Both of them had the chance to live in Australia because of the need to avail of the learning opportunities via the country’s excellent learning institutions. In the case of Nessrine, she is now residing in Australia on account of a scholarship that she was able to avail through her previous employer.
Hoa, on the other hand, did not come to Australia on the strength of a scholarship. It was his wife who first came to the country two years earlier. In a gesture of support to his wife, Hoa decided to become a temporary resident of the country in order to share the burden of child-rearing with his wife. Hoa view his temporary stay in Australia as an opportunity to learn a new aspect about the coffee business, because he is a skilled barista and before he transferred residence he used to work as a barista in his homeland. Hoa also saw an added opportunity to become more proficient when it conversing through the English language.
Nessrine and Hoa also shared common ground when it comes to the need to carry some of the load from the household chores. In the case of Nessrine, she is helping her mother take care of her three little children. Part of her job is to put her youngest daughter to sleep. She is also responsible when it comes to the recreation needs of her children. As a result, she made it a point to bring them to the movies or a nearby park.
A cursory view of the personal background of Nessrine and Hoa leads to the conclusion that there are many shared experiences, especially when it comes to their temporary stay in Australia and the need to make the necessary adjustments in order to get the most out of their current arrangements in the country. However, after factoring in these similarities, Nessrine and Hoa’s personal information begins to diverge. For example, Nessrine is a mother to three children, while Hoa is the father of a young boy. A deeper analysis of their civil status and their gender reveals a gap between these two individuals.
It is interesting to note that Nessrine’s use of time is different from Hoa even if Hoa was expected to spend more time handling household chores because he came to Australia to support her wife’s schooling needs. However, a close inspection of the data provided through interviews revealed that Nessrine spent more time taking care of the children compared to Hoa. It is important to highlight the difference because, at first glance, the expected role that Hoa should play is the same as the mother of Nessrine who came into Australia to support her in her studies. Hoa was supposed to fulfill the same role. However, Hoa’s wife was the one who took care of domestic issues. At this juncture, one can argue that gender plays a critical factor when it comes to role assignment. Thus, it is also imperative to point out that Hoa and Nessrine’s husband share common ground, and it is in the area of earning a living to support their family.
If one will remove any type of gender consideration, Nessrine and Hoa’s wife are faced with the same type of challenges. They were both mothers, and they needed to study in a foreign land while trying to deal with the duties and obligations of a married woman and a mother to small children. Therefore, Hoa was supposed to behave like the mother of Nessrine, and that is to provide support in the domestic needs of the family. Nonetheless, the conventions imposed by gender was so a powerful force that influenced the allocation of resources such as time and money (Christiansen & Townsend, 2004). It can be argued that Hoa’s wife is burdened with the same problems, especially when it comes to finding time for leisure (Sellar & Stanley, 2010). On the other hand, Nessrine’s ability to focus on her studies is due in large part to the financial support of her husband.
There is no data that can help the researcher understand the struggles of Hoa’s wife when it comes to the pressures of life. On the other hand Nessrine was not only able to articulate her problems regarding the need to balance the need to spend with her family and the need to finish her tasks and other obligations. One of the most important discoveries in the interview that was conducted to learn more about the life and work balance of Nessrine was the revelation that she was very much aware of the need to carve out more time for recreational activities. This is an important realization because according to experts in the field of occupational therapy, the proper use of time is one of the effective strategies that therapists can utilize to solve some of the problems faced by their clients (Harvey & Pentland, 2004). For example, those who are struggling with some anxiety problems will benefit from the utilization of a scheduling scheme that frees up time in order for them to pursue something that they find pleasurable and fulfilling (Farnworth, 2004).
Environment
One can argue that there is also common ground when it comes Nessrine and Hao’s physical and cultural environment while they are temporary residents in Australia. They soak into the same language and way of life created by the Australians. However, there are also major differences in the way they perceive their work and learning environment. In the case of Nessrine, she experienced greater levels of comfort and convenience because she lived in the city. As a result, she has easy access to the important facilities and institutions that she needed for her studies and her obligations as a mother. For example, she has easy access to learning institutions like schools and libraries. It is also convenient for her to buy groceries and other needs.
Based on the information gleaned from Hoa’s interview it can be argued that he lived far away from the city. He said that he had to travel a considerable distance going back and forth from his residence to his workplace. One can also argue that there is a big difference in the economic status of Nessrine and Hoa. It seems that Nessrine has greater access to discretionary funds, making it possible for her to live within the city limits. In other words, she is able to afford the more expensive apartments near the city as opposed to housing options that are available in the suburbs.
Difference in the environmental factors that shaped their living and working conditions in Australia affected the way Hoa and Nessrine utilize resources like time and money. Nevertheless, the environment that they grew up in also caused the different way they perceive the world around him. For example, Hao’s concept of self-development is focused on his personal growth and immediate family alone. A review of the data collated through the interview did not mention any statement regarding the need to help others or join a volunteer group. However, Nessrine expressed her desire to serve other people. In fact, her retirement plans are replete with ideas regarding importance of volunteer work.
In sharp contrast, Hoa’s description of his future endeavor did not mention any desire to volunteer his time and talent to help those who are in need. His laser-like focus is on his career and personal development, especially when it comes to the coffee industry. It is imperative to highlight Nessrine’s expressed desire to do volunteer work, because recent scientific findings created a link between improvements in health and well-being in people that share their time and talent through volunteer work as opposed to those who are immersed only in their own selfish world (Black & Living, 2004).
One can argue the role of religion or personal beliefs in shaping the difference in worldview. In the case of Nessrine, she confessed that she is a devout Muslim. She said that she belonged to the Sunni-sect of Islam. She even intimated to the interviewer that she is not an active churchgoer in the traditional sense of the word, she admitted that she prays five times a day. It compels the researcher to label her as a religious person on account of her commitment to pray five times a day. It requires serious commitment to a personal faith in order to sustain that type of regular activity. On the other hand, Hoa did not mention of any belief system or personal values that strongly influence the way he sees the world, especially when it comes to how he spends his time and other resources.
According to researchers in the social sciences, cultural and social influences helps the person forge a unique identity, and this identity provides them the framework on how to engage in a social manner (Abrahams, 2008). In other words, people that decided to become a fireman or a policeman are individuals imbued with a certain set of values that compels them to look beyond their needs and comfort zones.
If there is an opportunity to conduct a follow up study, one of the recommendations should be to revisit the impact of religion and spirituality to the lives of Nessrine and Hoa. It is interesting to find out if Nessrine was able to develop better coping mechanisms, because she had religion and she was able to hold to certain traditional belief systems on account of close family ties and other socio-cultural factors (Levinson, 1986). If she admits to the positive impact of her personal faith, then, it is in alignment with the research findings of researchers working in the social sciences, especially those who were able to observe that those who are burdened by hectic schedules oftentimes find themselves not having the time for personal reflection and to discover the deeper ramifications of their jobs and related activities (Billock, 2014). A review of related literature seems to indicate that those who cannot find the time for personal reflection are prone to the backlash of a segmented life, especially stressful jobs that rob them of the time spent on meaningful activities.
Occupation
The confluence of different factors like gender, age, and socio-economic forces in shaping the worldview of the respondents was manifested in much clearer way when the proponent of the study focused on their occupation and their desire for self-improvement on account of their respective careers. Hoa did not come to Australia in order to take advantage of the educational offering in the said country. However, he found a way to enhanced his personal development by working in one of the coffee shops. As a result, he was able to augment his knowledge and skills, especially when it comes to his goal of becoming a talented and sought-after barista.
Nessrine on the other hand needed to enhance her skills and knowledge with regards to the nursing profession. It was her desire to become a proficient nurse that prompted her to leave the comfort of home in order to study in a foreign land. She endured the difficulties caused by the temporary separation from her husband in order to pursue her dreams.
Without a doubt both Nessrine and Hoa are individuals that are characterized by a high sense of personal responsibility. The manifestations of their self-discipline enable them to acquire knowledge and personal experiences that are far significant than other people. However, it must be pointed out that even if they have the desire to learn and to increase their personal capabilities to tackle more serious roles in the future, it is not possible to do so without the presence of other factors. The primary requirement has to do with their age and their current status in life. Hoa is 29 years old, while Nessrine is 35 years old. They are both in the prime of their lives in terms of their health and their capability to endure higher levels of stress. If Hoa and Nessrine are already in the latter stages of life and if they are beset by problems common to those who are in their senior years, then, it is hard to imagine them coming to Australia to study and learn something new.
It is also important to point out that Hoa and Nessrine’s decision to temporarily create a life of a migrant in Australia was the direct result not only of their desire for greater self-development, but also as a consequence of how they view their retirement years (Hans-Werner & Kruse, 2005). According to researchers that are studying people’s behavior while they are in a critical transition period in their life, members of affluent societies have a positive attitude towards retirement (Jonsson, 2004). This positive attitude allows them to plan ahead and to make the necessary steps in the present time to pave the way for greater freedom and greater experiential knowledge for future endeavors (George, Helson, R., & John, 2011).
Conclusion
Hoa and Nessrine where chosen as respondents due to certain commonalities that they share between them. First of all, they fit the description of the ideal respondent for this particular study. Both Nessrine and Hoa belong a specific age range that will allow the proponent of the study to describe them as adults in transition. They are not only transitioning in their careers, but they are also transitioning from a biological and social point of view due to their age and their current socio-economic status. They were also chosen, because of the type of stress and challenges that they face as a foreigner in Australia. At the same time, both of them share an experience when it comes to coming to Australia in order to avail of the excellent educational offerings of some of the finest education institutions in the country.
However, it must be pointed out that only Nessrine had a direct experience when it comes to studying abroad, because Hoa did not enter Australia as a student, he came to support his wife who is currently studying in Australia. Nevertheless, both Nessrine and Hoa also understand what it takes to create a comfortable home while taking care of little children. They also had to contend with the challenges posed by the language barrier and other social structures that made it a challenge for them to acquire the necessary skills and learning experience that leads to enhanced personal development. It is interesting to note that age played a critical role in the decision of Nessrine and Hoa to engage in activities that will have far reaching consequences to their future. Without a doubt Nessrine and Hoa’s socio-economic status also played an important part, but if one takes away the age factor, then, it can be argued that they will never have the capability to undergo a stressful learning and adjustment process.
In other words, Nessrine and Hoa are at a critical age wherein they have the strength and the experience to study abroad and enhance their current capabilities. It is also important to point out that the decision to pursue a certain goal was also influenced by their respective belief systems. Both Nessrine and Hoa had a positive outlook when it comes to their retirement years. Thus, they were inspired to acquire new knowledge and to imbibe new experiences because they are certain of the positive outcome of the said decision. Although the comparison of Nessrine and Hoa’s life experiences in Australia yielded interesting results in the context of occupational therapy and the value of age and social factors in work and life balance of individuals, one of the problematic aspects of the research design was the decision to compare individuals that did not share the same struggles when it comes to handling the requirements of their respective duties and obligations. A better outcome could have been expected if the proponent of the study opted to interview Hoa’s wife. In this manner, there is greater commonality between two foreign women finding their way as a student in Australia.
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