The pursuit of a work opportunity is the least dramatic reason for migration, especially when organized as an assignment. This notion denotes a pre-decided temporariness, which is the main... Show moreThe pursuit of a work opportunity is the least dramatic reason for migration, especially when organized as an assignment. This notion denotes a pre-decided temporariness, which is the main characteristic of the expatriate as a person in migration. The temporariness though may have a span of two years or a decade, and sometimes more, which means that a considerable chunk of life is involved; concerning the persons holding the assignment as much as the people close to them. Who is this people, how do they spend their days, with whom they connect, what do they think of their temporary home and of their own home country seen from a distance, how do they feel being alienated from their habits and their culture? These are topics of interest flowing among the expatriates’ communities around the world, rarely finding a ground outside this circle. Recognizing the problem in their own environment, a group of women, identifying themselves as ‘Shell wives’, took the initiative to document the lives of the expatriates. Their project, exceeding their initial aspirations, led to the creation of a center of research for the position of expatriates in global migration: the Expatriate Archive Centre. Show less
