A New Life in New Zealand: Exploring Adult Migrants’ Social Networks Over the Life Course

<p><strong>Migration can result in a range of experiences, often leading to unequal life outcomes compared to locally born citizens. One challenge that migrants face is the difficulty in establishing fulfilling social networks, which can result in loneliness and isolation. New Zealand has a large population of migrants, yet little is known about how they form connections. A narrative approach, informed by social constructionism, was used to analyse nine life course interviews with later life migrants who moved to New Zealand as adults in the mid-to-late 20th century. The theories of life course principles and the convoy model were employed to investigate how these participants formed convoys over time and what factors influenced this process. Findings suggest that attempting to find initial connections is challenging due to a culture of superficial friendliness. Also, participants who struggled to integrate told stories of othering and racism, in contrast to those with English colonial experience who revealed privilege by often avoiding these experiences. I argue that their collective stories reveal the internalisation of Western cultural norms that are pervasive in a relatively homogeneous New Zealand society. Similarly, individualism and neoliberal meritocracy mask the structural determinants that cause inequality among later life migrants, especially for those who differ from this homogeneity. Overall, this project suggests that New Zealand was a welcoming place for the participants, albeit with limitations. Also, the outer layers of social networks have an important yet not well-understood function that potentially helps mitigate loneliness throughout the life course. Further research and policy should investigate ways to foster inclusion for recent migrants, to prevent later life isolation and reduce structural inequality.</strong></p>