How do beliefs and institutional context influence the portability of political and civil society behaviours among New Zealand return migrants?

Abstract

Qualitative life-history narratives investigating the portability of political and civil society beliefs/behaviours of 42 New Zealand returnees help us to understand why some citizens engage in political and civil society activities while living overseas and on return. Personal beliefs such as civic duty, rights and self-interest are strongly associated with the portability of political and civil society behaviours. Yet findings also support theories of exposure, indicating that political/civil society learning can occur across the ‘migration life course’ and challenge resistance theory arguments that a break in participation inhibits political engagement later in life. Although civil society engagement is shaped more by self-interest than altruism overall, most returnees failed to volunteer as a way of better integrating on their return as many had overseas. Thus, the ‘home’ context can inhibit citizenship engagement, reducing the benefits New Zealand could reap from exposure to new ideas, places and people while overseas.