Abstract:
The literature, for example, Black and Stephens (1989), as well as Marchetti-Mercer (2009),
emphasise that mental health professionals may be increasingly faced with the challenges linked to
migration and expatriate life. There is also a paucity of information regarding expatriate adjustment
in South African psychological literature, and to this end, the aim of this study was to examine how
South African expatriate families adjust to a foreign environment like the Middle Eastern city of
Dubai.
In Dubai, many South African expatriates are employed in sectors such as hospitality, medicine,
construction, education, including financial services and it is estimated that the number of South
Africans living in Dubai are between 40 000 and 100 000 (The Homecoming Revolution, 2008:1).
Expatriate families face the challenges of adjusting to different laws, climates, cultures, religions and
social systems. They may experience lack of emotional support, grief, feelings of isolation and
loneliness. Unfamiliar living conditions and a change of lifestyle may present as a crisis for certain
families, manifesting in family conflict and financial hardship. Given the number of South African
families living in Dubai, this study aimed to explore how these families adjusted to the living
conditions of this region. A second aim of the study was to use the findings yielded from the data to
formulate Gestalt therapeutic techniques, enabling family therapists to assist expatriate families with
adjustment difficulties. A phenomenological system of enquiry was employed to study the
experiences of six South African families and fifteen members of a focus group. Family members of
the six family case studies were interviewed, their experiences audio-recorded, and then transcribed
verbatim. Three children elected to provide drawings of their experiences. The focus group
discussion was also audio-recorded and then transcribed verbatim. Upon analysis, six common
themes emerged, namely, social support, personality factors, environmental conditions,
acculturation, grief and disillusion. The findings of the study assisted the researcher in formulating
five therapeutic Gestalt techniques that would facilitate and optimise communication amongst
expatriate family members. Three of the therapeutic techniques were designed by the researcher,
and two were adapted from existing Gestalt techniques. It is hoped that the findings in the present
study will assist in amplifying the existing knowledge base regarding Gestalt therapy techniques for
families and children, including the current research on expatriate adjustment and the psychological
ramifications related to this phenomenon.
