Life Strategies of Migrants from Crisis Regimes Achiever or Survivor?

This book offers a profoundly new examination of life strategies of migrants from regimes in crisis. By focusing on the unique paired comparison of two opposing life strategies—the dynamic, risk-taking and future-oriented ‘achievement life strategy’ and the conservative, risk-minimizing and survival-oriented ‘survival life strategy’—this volume takes migration from post-independence Ukraine to Australia as a central case study to show how people shape their lives in response to regime transitions and crises; what life strategies individuals pursue to cope with social change; and why these individuals chose migration to Australia. Ultimately, the book compels us to reassess what we mean by migration and regime crisis in order to adequately respond to the global challenges confronting numerous democracies today. As such, it will appeal to scholars of sociology and politics with interests in migration, political theory and democracy.

Part One - Concepts and Contexts

Chapter 1. Life Strategy, Migration and Regime Transition

1.1. Life Strategy and Migration

1.2. Regime Transition: from Western to post-Soviet East European Perspectives

1.3. Conceptualising Life Strategy

Chapter 2. Life Strategy Research Framework

2.1. Conceptual Framework

2.2. Mapping Mixed Methodology

Part Two – Leaving Europe

Chapter 3. Leaving the Regime in Crisis: Structural Context Shaping Life Strategies

3.1. Economic Situation

3.2. Political Situation

3.3. Migration Dynamics

Chapter 4. Why Migration? Individual Context of Survival and Achievement 

4.1. Leaving for Survival: Aims, Values, Needs, Agency

4.2. Leaving for Achievement: Aims, Values, Needs, Agency

Chapter 5. Migration Pathways: Popular Visas, Streams and Tactics

5.1. Survival Pathways: Humanitarian and Family Reunion Stream

5.2. Achievement Pathways: Skilled and Marriage Migration Streams

Part Three – Becoming Australian

Chapter 6. ‘Survival Migrants’: Challenges and Opportunities

6.1. Survival Occupational Experiences

6.2. Class Mobility

6.3. Adaptation: Maximising Profits, Minimising Integration

6.4. National Identity, Emotions and Life Strategy Shifts

Chapter 7. Patterns of ‘Achievement’

7.1. Migration Dividends

7.3. Successful Integration and Australian Identity

7.4. Future Plans Aimed at Achievement

Part Four – Achievers vs. Survivors: Comparative Perspective

Chapter 8. Achievers vs. Survivors: Dynamics and Trends

8.2. Life Strategy Model: Research Limitations and Future Research

8.3. Concluding Remarks

Olga Oleinikova is Lecturer and Director of the Ukraine Democracy Initiative in the School of Communication at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia.