Tonight I was interviewed by a sociology student working on her master's thesis: on the importance of 'feeling at home' in a multicultural society - how important is it really that migrants consider their adopted country their proper home, and how does this differ to 'transnationals' and their sense of 'home'. Apparently I am a 'transnational' and so agreed to do this interview.
What do I consider home? That one's easy - the Netherlands. Despite having lived in different countries, and fully expecting to move abroad for some time again in the future, I can't imagine the Netherlands not being my home.
Why do I feel that so strongly though? And I do feel 'at home' at other places too, so what do I need in a place to make it feel that way?
Questions that I've mostly only thought of in relation to Japan and why I couldn't live there long term: because I don't feel I fit in to Japanese society.
What I need to feel at home somewhere, to feel a sense of belonging is having people I care about and who are important to me close by, a comfortable lifestyle, an open society but most of all I need a society that I feel a part of, that I can actively participate in through associations, debates on current affairs, politics but also by being respected for who I am and for being 'me' in that society.
1 comment:
Interesting post, and something that I think about every time someone asks me when I am going home to Australia.
I don't really feel at home in Australia anymore - it feels like there is this invisible wall between me and everyone at home. I think that it is because common experiences bind you together, and if you don't have those common experiences, you will be considered separate.
I know that my view of the world and of Australia has changed since I have been living overseas, and I can see that my attitudes and beliefs are a lot different compared to the rest of Australian society.
Post a Comment