International perspectives on well-being and place

Citation

(2013), "International perspectives on well-being and place", International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, Vol. 9 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijmhsc.2013.54809baa.001

International perspectives on well-being and place

Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, Volume 9, Issue 2.

One of the most obvious things to say about migration is that it involves a change of place. It involves leaving one place and arriving in another and the journey in-between. For forced migrants the leaving of place and subsequent journey can be particularly hazardous. The arrival in a new country is not often accompanied by a sense of a welcoming place, as immigration officials may be reluctant to accept the incoming migrants. For those in more favorable circumstances, for example, migrating to take a job in another country, there may be opportunities to experience supportive environments that are conducive to placemaking. Migrants may actively seek to build social networks with migrants from the same country, ethnic or language group, who can help them to build social and economic capital in the new country. However, for many migrants, there is an ongoing sense of being “out-of-place” and diverse approaches are developed to cope with a new and sometimes hostile environment.

This edition includes four papers that offer, in diverse ways, perspectives on the health and social care dimensions of changing place. Akesson and Denov examine place and placemaking in the lives of separated children in Canada. In doing so, they draw attention to the importance of place in developing a sense of grounding and security. Placemaking also has the capacity to contribute to youths well-being and is, as such, a form of healing. As such, the authors indicate is important for policy makers to take this aspect of refugee's experience seriously and incorporate it into programmes of support. The focus of the paper by Chase and colleagues is not so much on placemaking but on analysis of coping mechanisms of refugees in a protracted situation of displacement. Drawing on research among Bhutanese refugees in Nepal, Chase et al highlight a range of coping strategies used by Bhutanese refugees in trying to come to terms with their intractable situations.

The final two papers in this edition address questions relating to the impact of the host society environment on migrants in Europe. In the case of Moliero's paper, the emphasis is on the issue of the cultural competency of clinicians, specifically in the fields of counseling and clinical psychology. The final contribution, by Bispo, characterizes the nutrition and health of Brazilians living in Bournemouth.