New Beginnings, Old Problems: Psychocultural Frame of Reference and Family Dynamics During the Adjustment Period


 

Publication Date: January 1990

Publisher: Conference of Jewish Communal Service (U.S.)

Author(s): Irene Belozersky

Research Area: Population and demographics

Keywords: Immigration; Psychology; Family

Type: Report

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

Immigration, with its accompanying feelings of uprootedness and numerous losses, is a powerful stressor, disrupting the functioning of even the strongest families and individuals. Adjustment to a new society takes the form of a spectrum of physical and emotional reactions. As a rule, families and individuals who functioned well in the Soviet Union will have an easier adjustment in the United States. Age, educational level, and English-speaking ability also influence the ease of adjustment.