British and German expat life in Asia 2013-2016

Bueltmann, Tanja (2020). British and German expat life in Asia 2013-2016. [Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Archive. 10.5255/UKDA-SN-852556

Asia has consistently received its share of European arrivals since the seventeenth century; given the region’s economic growth, it continues to witness an increase in their number. For these migrants, thrust into an alien cultural environment, ethnic associationalism and social networking are among the most common responses to life in the new home. Yet despite its long history, the persistence of ethnic associations and networks among migrants in the Far East has received little attention.

This project offers the first sustained reading of present-day expatriate social networks and associational forms in Asia within the wider context of their historical antecedents, moving beyond the traditional focus on Anglophone cultures in the former British Empire in Asia by comparing contemporary migrant community life of British and German expats. The principal project objectives are:

(1) to provide a close analysis of the emergence and development of contemporary ethnic associations among migrants from Britain and Germany

(2) to offer a knowledge-shaping reading of cultural organisations and diplomatic missions that operate within the wider circles of expatriate community life

(3) to interact with current expatriate groups, the stakeholders of the organisations to be studied in this research, as well as policy makers.

Data description (abstract)

This data collection is comprised of different types of data relating to British and German expat life in Asia in longitudinal perspective. It contains:
(1) transcripts of interviews (N=28) with British and German expats in a select number of sites of study throughout Asia;
(2) results from a survey (N=53) of British and German expats in Asia, containing basic details on age, gender, occupation and nationality, as well as wider details on expat life
(3) databases relating to the membership of ethnic associations in Asia, including historical data.

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