Reasons for gaining-losing contacts among migrants in Barcelona

José Luis Molina, Javier Ávila, Juergen Lerner, Miranda

Lubbers. ECRP. Paris, 2008

Remember … Migrants in Catalonia

(Barcelona,Vic,Girona). We had about 300 personal networks

(2004-2005) … Cluster analysis Sample of 90 individuals

for the second wave … We have 56 structured interviews so far

(1,5 - 2 years later on average) ...

Focus in Argentineans 22 people from Argentina were

interviewed one year later for the same researcher than one year before (Javier, 20 and Laura, 2).

About 30 hours recorded (from 40 to 120 minutes).

We developed a method for enabling comparisons between the 2 waves.

Method (2nd interview)1. Interviewer print a hardcopy of the

personal network (1st wave).2. Ask informant for the active contacts (free-

recall 45 alters, 2n wave).3. Compare the two lists and add the variable

(“repet”, Yes/No) for each alter of the 2n wave.

4. Continue the data gathering with EgoNet (attributes of alters, mutual relationships).

5. Perform the interview (what changed and why in the meantime at various levels, people, groups, structure, composition, self-identification …).

Qualitative analysis The interviews were heard reproducing

the same visualizations that informants commented … plus this information …

N Informante Egoid Edad Años resid. Colectivo Estado Cluster Duración

17 Marisa Grigioni 2047 43 17 Argentina Casada 1:14:58 Razón pérdida Separación de su hermana … Compañeritos de tenis de las hijas … Límite de 45 Razón adquisición Pareja de la hija Algunos padres de la escuela en la que ella es profesora que conocen a la pareja, a las hijas … es un sitio pequeño (Torelló). Separación. Cognitivamente por una visita de una familiar y sus más allegados.

Clustered Graphs for personal networks(2007). "Comparing Networks by their Group Structure with an application to acculturation networks", XXVII Sunbelt’07 Corfu, Greece May 1–6, Juergen Lerner & Ulrik Brandes [pdf]

(2008). "Visual Statistics for Collections of Clustered Graphs", proceedings of the 2008 IEEE Pacific Visualization Symposium, March 5-7, Kyoto, Japan. Brandes, Ulrik, Jürgen Lerner, Miranda J. Lubbers, Chris McCarty & José Luis Molina.

Argentinians in Spain1. Analyzing 250 personal networks of

immigrants in Spain (Morroco, Dominican Republic, Senegal, Gambia, Argentina …) we found that that years of residence were associated positively with

Percentage of alters living in Spain (r = .33) Percentage of alters who are originally from

Spain (r = .36)2. In the case of Argentineans this process

is faster that with other communities (that sometimes need a second generation …).

Different collectives …

Slides 27-46 from Juergen-Ulrik presentation

Ideal model of change …

Trends and people life's … From the interviews of the second wave we have identified:

Changes that follow the general trend (we call those changes Evolution)

Changes that follow the opposite direction (we call those changes Involution)

Changes that show Stability (in structure and composition nor necessarily with the same alters).

Sources of change in our data …

Following Leik and Chalkley (1997) we can identified 4 general sources of change in the data:

1. Unreliability

2. Inherent instability

3. Systemic change

4. External change

Specially at the beginning of the migration process: psychological crisis, change of residence of a key contact …

Most reasons for change are included here: transitivy, change of covariates (residence), get married, divorce, getting a new job …

Some interesting reasons: death, loss of a cellular phone …

So … The reasons provided by informants for explaining the changes observed in their networks can be classified in this way (*= small impact or few cases, ** medium, *** high):

Involution Stability Evolution

Error *

Instability *

Endogenous *** * ***

External *

Reasons for change … Error-Involution

1 case/22. The informant understood in the first wave that he was asked only for people living in Spain.

In some cases informants reported some errors in ties and the limitation of 45 as a problem.

Reasons for change … Instability - Involution

Psychological crisis during the 1st interview. Now the relationships with family are restored.

Reasons for change … Endogenous - Involution

Traveling Argentina during the last months***.

Marrying an Argentinean couple**.

Political family (in Argentina or Spain).

Friends. Own family.

Working in a familiar business**. Nephews raising up …*. Amateur futbol club*. Illness of a close-relative and the

social support mobilized in Argentina.

Reasons for change … Endogenous -

Involution Visits of friends –relatives*. Traveling SouthAmerica.

Reasons for change … Endogenous - Evolution

Getting a job***. Change of residence***. Marrying a Catalan/Spanish couple***.

Political family. Friends. Own family.

Music festivals – Disco**. Sharing a flat**. Children playing sports or musical activities

(parents meetings)**. Studying a Master*. English or Catalan classes*.

Reasons for change … Endogenous- Stability

Friends of friends** Birthday parties, literary meetings, visits at

home … Alters meet in a burying ceremony and

develop an independent relationship. Stable marriage.

Reasons for change … External – Evolution

Get VISA. Death of relatives.

Conclusions (i) People change. This path of change

is faster in ecological transitions. People interviewed explain easily in

most of cases the reasons for change. There is not a single reason for a type

of change but a combination of different sources of change being endogenous processes the most important.

Conclusions (ii) Selection processes are important

(cutting relationships with other Argentineans or with some people) but specially

frequency of contact, getting a job (both through strong and weak ties) and place of residence have important effects in the structure and composition of their personal networks.

Along with this, transitivity (friends of friends), lifecycle (get married, having children) and traveling are also important.

Getting ahead … Now, it is necessary complete the

second wave, analyze the interviews and test that impressions with our data.

Next time with SIENA, I promise!

Thanks!