Effects of Cultural Change on Immigrants' Professional Identity and Wellbeing

This dissertation explores the effects of cultural change on immigrants' professional identity and wellbeing. It focuses on the experiences of Romanian migrants in the UK and examines the sociological hardships they face and their implications on mental health. The research aims to provide recommendations for creating a more supportive work environment.

Running head: DISSERTATION
Romanian Migration to the UK – the effects of cultural change on immigrants’ professional
identity and wellbeing
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Acknowledgement
Thank you to all of those who have helped listened and encouraged me throughout this study. I
am indebted to my supervisor ……………………. whose guidance, advice and patience have
been immeasurable. My sincere thanks to all members of the…………… [Mention your
university/college name], both staff and students, whose continuous support have made this
thesis possible.
I would like to thank all of the participants in the study: students, teachers and Local Education
Authorities, for the time and help given throughout. Without their participation, this research
would not have been possible. In this context, I am also thankful to them, whose research work
helped me to execute this paper well.
Finally, I thank my family, without whom this thesis would not have been started or completed!
Your encouragement and support have never faltered; thank you.

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Abstract
The phenomenon of migration is a common occurrence in the contemporary period.
Furthermore, migration is more visible in the areas which are developed. This is due to the fact
that the developed countries of the world have the potential to provide better life opportunities to
the people in the form of standard level of education and high remunerative jobs. In the context
of Europe, it can be observed that several restrictions were in place with respect to the issue of
migration. Only the countries who formed part of the European Union had the freedom to move
freely across the territorial boundaries of the concerned countries in the Union. However,
restrictions were imposed on this nature of migration upon the people who were coming from
countries outside of the European Union. This could be seen especially in the context of Britain.
Since Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007 and restrictions lifted for their
rights to work in the United Kingdom in 2014, Romania has now become the second largest non-
British nationality in Britain. Since then, the subject of immigration was brought to public debate
but research has shown that the dominant views were biased towards immigrants being a threat
to domestic social justice and public security with fewer arguments supporting their benefits. A
study on United Kingdom immigration discovered that the public were hugely influenced by the
media as the debate was focused mainly on the two most debated topics - the economy and
education with the implication that it was somewhat taken out of context. The research aims to
understand the experience of the Romanians working in the United Kingdom to establish if such
people have experienced any change in their professional identity and ill-health as a result. This
research study includes the grounded theory research philosophy, inductive approach which
employs descriptive design and the method of interview strategy in order to analyse the status of
the migrants in the foreign countries of the world. Moreover, the data is collected with the help

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primary data collection methods. For this purpose, non-probability sampling technique has been
used which has helped the researcher to choose the potential candidates of the target group that is
the Romanian migrants living within Britain. The data collected has been analysed with the help
of qualitative data analysis which has aided the researcher to gain a subjective insight in to the
issue. The research study shows that there is a need on the part of the government of Britain, the
society and the private organizations to generate a friendly and tolerant atmosphere within the
country.

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................................6
Overview......................................................................................................................................6
Problem Statement.......................................................................................................................7
Research Aim...............................................................................................................................7
Research Objectives.....................................................................................................................8
Research Questions......................................................................................................................8
Research Rationale......................................................................................................................9
Summary......................................................................................................................................9
Chapter 2: Literature review..........................................................................................................10
Overview....................................................................................................................................10
Conceptual Framework..............................................................................................................10
Theme 1: Reasons behind the motive of migration and migrant strategies...............................11
Theme 2: Utilisation of the skill of the migrants which shapes the professional identity of such
people.........................................................................................................................................14
Theme 3: The sociological hardships in the form of cultural deviation faced by the migrants in
the countries they migrate to and its implication on their mental health...................................16
Theme 4: Situation of the Romanian migrants in the United Kingdom....................................19
Summary....................................................................................................................................19
Chapter 4: Methodology................................................................................................................21

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Overview....................................................................................................................................21
Research Outline........................................................................................................................21
Research Philosophy..................................................................................................................21
Research Approach....................................................................................................................22
Research Design........................................................................................................................22
Research Strategy......................................................................................................................22
Sampling technique and size.....................................................................................................23
Data Collection Process.............................................................................................................23
Data Analysis Technique...........................................................................................................23
Ethical Considerations...............................................................................................................23
Summary....................................................................................................................................24
Chapter 5: Data Findings and Analysis.........................................................................................25
Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendation...............................................................................26
References:....................................................................................................................................29
Appendix:......................................................................................................................................37

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Chapter 1: Introduction
Overview
Towards the end of the twentieth century, the different countries of the world embarked
on the process of globalization. This meant that the territorial boundaries of the different nation
states of the world were made open to the other countries (Greenwood 2019). As a result, people
could migrate to such countries in search of better opportunities to life, as their main objective
was to increase their standard of living. As a consequence, the activity of migration rose to a
considerable extent. Throughout history people migrate to other countries in search of a better
life. E.G. Revenstein was first to provide a scholarly study of migration that migrants were
responding to differences in opportunities as measured by “greater promise for remunerative
labour” but the driving forces behind migration were often complex (Greenwood, 2019). Zolberg
argued that the macro theories proposed by Ravenstein need to come from a more political
perspective in which migrants were individuals with distinctive interests. (Zolberg 1981). For
example, a study on health professionals found that they would migrate because they lacked the
tools to do their jobs in their own countries. (Dodani and LaPorte 2005). As for the host country,
a study has found that government policies should be directed at ensuring that the marginal
economic benefit brought by each migrant should exceed its marginal cost to ensure an overall
surplus (Borjas 1995) although another study argued against the economic benefits of
immigration that the only beneficiaries were the migrants themselves (Coleman and Rawthorn
2004). In the context of Europe, it can be observed that several restrictions were in place with
respect to the issue of migration. Only the countries who formed part of the European Union had
the freedom to move freely across the territorial boundaries of the concerned countries in the
Union. However, restrictions were imposed on this nature of migration upon the people who

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were coming from countries outside of the European Union. This could be seen especially in the
context of Britain. Since Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007 and
restrictions lifted for their rights to work in the United Kingdom in 2014, Romania has now
become the second largest non-British nationality in Britain (Deauville 2017). Since then, the
subject of immigration was brought to public debate but research has shown that the dominant
views were biased towards immigrants being a threat to domestic social justice and public
security with fewer arguments supporting their benefits (Balch and Balabanova 2016). A study
on United Kingdom immigration discovered that the public were hugely influenced by the media
as the debate was focused mainly on the two most debated topics - the economy and education
with the implication that it was somewhat taken out of context (McLaren et al. 2017). Evidence
has suggested that immigration has boosted GDP per capita in the United Kingdom through a
significant increase in productivity through a supply of skills. This makes the United Kingdom a
more prosperous country as a result. (Migration Advisory Committee 2018).
Problem Statement
The research aims to understand the experience of the Romanians working in the United
Kingdom to establish if such people have experienced any change in their professional identity
and ill-health as a result.
Research Aim
The aim of the research is to analyse the various sociological in the form of cultural
deviation and physical impact in the form of professional identity and physical health, upon the
migrants who travel to another city in order to find better job opportunities.

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Research Objectives
The objective of the research are as follows –
1. To identify the various sociological and physical impact in the form of professional identity
and physical health, upon the migrants.
2. To analyse the level of utilization of the skills of the migrants which helps in the formation of
their professional identity
3. To examine the various sociological hardships in the form of cultural deviation faced by the
migrants in the countries they migrate to and its implication on their mental health.
4. To make certain recommendations for overcoming the various obstacles faced by the migrant
so that they may enjoy a happy and satisfied life.
Research Questions
The research questions are as follows –
The research questions are as follows –
1) What are the various sociological and physical influences in the form of professional identity
and physical health, upon the migrants?
2. What are the skills of the migrants utilized which help in the formation of their professional
identity?
3. What are the various sociological hardships in the form of cultural deviation faced by the
migrants in the countries they migrate to and its implication on their mental health?

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4. What are the different recommendations for overcoming the various obstacles faced by the
migrant so that they may enjoy a happy and satisfied life?
Research Rationale
The phenomenon of migration is a common occurrence in the contemporary period.
Furthermore, migration is more visible in the areas which are developed. This is due to the fact
that the developed countries of the world have the potential to provide better life opportunities to
the people in the form of standard level of education and high remunerative jobs (Drummett
2001). In this respect, it is often evidenced that people choose to migrate to the developed
countries of the world such as that of the United State of America and to the countries of Europe,
especially that of Britain. However, often times it is observed that the people who migrate are
made to face certain hardships in such countries due to their different identity and varied cultural
background. In this respect, such people are often burdened with certain sociological
implications such as that of alienation and distrust (Balch and Balabanova 2016). This in turn,
has a significant repercussive impact on the mental health of such people. In this context, the
research shows how the mental health of the Romanian migrants working in the United
Kingdom, is affected by the actions of the society and the people in their work place (Deauville
2017).
Summary
In summary, the chapter provides an overview about the research aim which is to analyse
the experience of the Romanians working in the United Kingdom and to establish if such people
have experienced any change in their professional identity and ill-health as a result. The chapter
also provides a rationale for the research which justifies the need for this study.

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Work capability of the Romanian migrants
Reasons for migration
Mental health of the Romanian migrants
De-skilling of the professional identity of the migrants
Situation of the Romanian migrants living within Britain
Social hardships faced by the migrants
Chapter 2: Literature review
Overview
Often times it is observed that the young scholars are interested to pursue their living in
some other city or country apart from their home. This may be due to the fact that their native
place do not have better career opportunities or that they are interested in a particular field of
work which is not provided in their home town. The main objective of every individual is to earn
a better standard of living. However, this migration to other places is not always smooth as these
people are required to take many other factors in consideration besides their work opportunities.
The various hardships faced by such people working in a different country or city can be
analysed on the basis of certain themes which can be observed in certain literature of study
(Drummett 2001).
Conceptual Framework

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Figure 1: Conceptual framework
(Source: Created by Author)
Theme 1: Reasons behind the motive of migration and migrant strategies
Migration is one of the most common phenomenon of the globalized world. The aspect of
globalization has set open to the territorial boundaries of the different nation states of the globe
where the people of these lands can now move freely across the different countries (Greenwood
2019). The aspect of migration was in existence since the inception of the human civilization but
it gained spotlight only after understanding the economic value of such migration. When a
person migrates from one place to another, it means that the home country has lost one of their
human capital resource. It reflects negatively on the country from where high number of people
migrate as it shows that that country is unable to provide for a decent standard of living to its
own people (Zolberg 1981). On the other hand, the process of migration reflects positively on the
country the people are migrating to. This is due to the fact that people choose to migrate to
places where they have the opportunity to uplift themselves, both educationally and
economically by undertaking better job opportunities. In the contemporary world of today, the
process of migration has gained an economic value. While it is true that people mainly migrate to
order to earn a better standard of living, there are many different reasons due to which people
migrate (Murphy and Mahalingam 2006).
One of the primary reason for migration is that of environmental factors. The climate of
the world is changing in a drastic manner in the contemporary period. This has affected the
health of the people who are living in the tropical places of the world where the temperature of
the places are rising in a gradual manner (Murphy and Mahalingam 2006).

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Another reason for migration, which is often treated to be the primary reason, is that of
poverty. Many places of the world, especially those belonging to the eastern hemisphere and the
Latin American countries, are considered to be under developed in nature. This means that
although such countries have an abundant supply of many natural resources as well as human
capital, the people of the country are unable to utilize such resources (Borjas 1995). This, in turn,
has a significant impact on the standard of living of the people of these countries. They do not
have a standard educational opportunity and no decent job opportunities. In other words, this has
a repercussive impact on the standard of living of the people which is highly compromised.
People are compelled to live in poverty like situations and compromise with their health
standards. This forlorn scenario often acts as a motivation on the native people of these countries
to migrate to other places of the world in order to search a better standard of living (Dodani and
LaPorte 2005). The countries where these people prefer to migrate are the developed nations of
the world, especially those belonging to the western hemisphere. The developed countries are
known for their technological advances which aids in the provision of better life opportunities to
the people of those countries as well as to the people who migrate to these lands (Greenwood
2019).
However, this is always not the case. Often times it is perceived that the migrants are
unable to realize their dreams. This is due to the fact the people of the host countries are not
friendly to the migrants. They are of the view that their share of resources is being unjustly
utilized by the migrants. Moreover, the migrants are often better educated that the people of the
host countries. It is due to this that such migrants are better suited for certain high profile job
(Mähönen, Leinonen and Jasinskaja-Lahti 2013). In the event that the government of the
particular host country is impartial to its citizens and to the migrants, there is a high probability

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of the migrants finding better jobs than the native people themselves. However, it is often
observed that the governments of these countries are not impartial to the migrants. Every
government has the foremost responsibility to their own citizen and hence, they believe that they
should provide the job opportunities to their own people before they give it to the migrants.
While the government jobs may be meritorious in nature, it is definitely not the case in the case
of private organizations. They employers of the private firms are of the idea that the migrants
cannot be trusted due to their temporary nature of existence and hence, they want to give this
responsibility to their own native people (Kogan, Shen and Siegert 2018). It is due to such
thought process that the migrants find it quite difficult to find a decent standard of job for
themselves. As a consequence of such poor job opportunities, the standard of living of the
migrants fail to rise up to their level of expectations. This ensures the prevalence of the situation
of poverty of the migrants which they desperately wanted to come out of in their own countries
(Kogan, Shen and Siegert 2018).
Theme 2: Utilisation of the skill of the migrants which shapes the professional
identity of such people
People migrate to other countries and places with the objective of earning a better means
of livelihood for themselves. They have the confidence in themselves and in the political
structure of the country they are migrating to that it will be able to provide a job to them ( Shuval
2000). The migrants have a particular skill with them and they are of the opinion that by finding
a better avenue, they will be able to improve their situation. Their main objective is to provide a
better life opportunity to themselves and to their family and with this dream and hope, they
migrate to the developed countries of the world (Currie 2007). However, in this process of
migration, they have to face certain hurdles and obstacles. The nature of migration is not easy as

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people are required to leave their homelands behind them for financial purposes. For many, this
constitutes the process of alienation whereby they do not know to which land they belong to.
They are misguided in their cultural orientation and it takes a lot of time for them to find their
bearings with which they can be comfortable. However, for certain people, especially those
belonging to the lower strata of the society both in the economic plane and in the social plane,
the nature of migration is necessary (Creese and Wiebe 2012). They are compelled to raise their
standard of living and this opportunity is not provided to them in their home land. As a
consequence, migrating is the only option left to them whereby they choose to go to other places
in search of a better life. However, such migrants often have to face certain unforeseen problems
such as the issue of under-utilisation of their skill resources (Currie 2007).
Skills are the available set of physical and mental knowledge with a particular individual.
This skill set of a person determines the level of competency of an individual and the popular
opinion is that if the skill set of a person is advanced and better than the other people in the same
field, then there is a probability that he or she will be able to find a better job opportunity
(Bartram 2013). This, in turn, will help to improve the standard of living of that person.
However, in the event of migration, a strange factor which is noticed is that often, the available
skill set of a person is not utilized to its truest potential. In other words, the employees are made
to work in an environment which is not conducive to their skill set (Creese and Wiebe 2012).
Moreover, they are made to work in under paying jobs while the better paying jobs are given to
the native people of that place.
De-skilling is another factor on physical and mental health in which immigrants’ skills
are underutilized. Rosenberg suggested that immigrants who were employed in low-skilled
service sector in Canada did suffer from mental health issues due to stress and job dissatisfaction

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(Subedi and Rosenberg 2017). A study in 2008 explored the labour market experiences of new
Eastern European immigrants in the United Kingdom labour market, there is suggestion that a
certain level of de-skilling has taken place in which their skills in their host countries were not
properly utilized. (Markova and Black 2008). Highly skilled Chinese immigrants in Canada,
especially the females, have also been found being marginalized by doing menial and low paid
jobs, often due to complex factors such as language barriers, racism and lack of childcare
subsidies (Man 2004). De-skilling is closing linked to loss of professional identity. A study on
highly skilled female immigrants in Denmark who failed to fully employ their original skills
experienced a loss of professional identity, although some of the subjects managed to gain access
to higher skill sectors of work (Liversage 2009). Skilled workers who fail to find skilled
positions within the initial five to six years after their immigration would probably never find
skilled positions, resulting in their economic and human potential would be wasted and hence,
immigration policy makers should take this into consideration (Remennick 2013).
Such an issue is in existence because of the prejudices associated with the nature of
migration. Scholars are of the view that the people of the host countries do not look favorably
upon the migrants. They think of the migrants as people who have come to take their jobs away
from them (Deters 2006). Moreover, the employers of any organization are reluctant to put the
migrants in places of responsibility in their firm as they belief that the migrants are outsides and
thus, cannot be trusted. As a consequence, they skill set of such migrants are underutilized as
they are not given proper jobs which they deserve (Nowicka 2012). Instead, they are made to
work in menial activities and are under paid for their services. This in turn, has a repercussive
impact on the mental health of the migrants as they are unable to realize their dreams and hopes.
They migrated with the view that the new place would be able to offer them better jobs and a

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high standard of living (Anderson et al. 2006). However, the work place prejudices obstructs
them from realising their objective, due to which they are often depressed and frustrated.
Theme 3: The sociological hardships in the form of cultural deviation faced by the
migrants in the countries they migrate to and its implication on their mental health
People migrate to other places in search of better life opportunities and to live with
dignity and integrity. However, often times it is observed that this is not an easy transition.
Migrants are made to face a lot of trouble and hardships, not only in terms of them proving their
professional skill but also psychological implications and sociological impacts (De Jong,
Chamratrithirong and Tran 2002). Certain sociological hardships faced by the migrants has a
repercussive impact on the mental health of this population. While these sociological
occurrences be normal for the other people of that place, they might have a high influence on the
migrants as they do not originally belong to that place. For instance, the evils of racism and
consequent discrimination may have an adverse impact on the migrants.
A study on immigrants in Spain has directly linked perceived racism to health
deterioration in both men and women, especially when there is a lack of medical care (Gil-
Gonzalez et al. 2012). Immigration issues in the United Kingdom has been brought to public’s
attention since the enlargement of the European Union that began in 1957 with six countries and
has now expanded to 28 countries. This EU enlargement has caused a great deal of public
anxiety when immigrants are perceived to be the culprits of the current pressure on the labour
market, housing and social services. (Glennie and Pennington 2013). This anxiety also played a
significant impact on the United Kingdom voting out of the EU during the referendum on June
2016 (Glennie and Pennington 2013). Compared to its Commonwealth counterpart Canada, far
less research has been conducted on the topic of immigration and the public’s opinion was

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predominately influenced by the political propagandas and media biases. For example, a
documentary “The Romanians Are Coming” (2015) aired by Channel 4, focused on the poor and
even homeless Romanians back in their own country now seeking jobs and benefits in Britain;
many seek low-paid jobs while others struggle to find employment and end up sleeping rough. In
this documentary “The Romanians Are Coming” (2015), much attention was given to a man
named Sandu who was cleaning toilets while wearing his best suit and tie. In a separate report,
immigrants from Eastern Europe are being exploited for illegal and low-paid jobs typically in
construction and car washes in Britain. The term “modern slavery” has been coined to describe
such immigrants as being robbed of their dignity, safety and freedom. According to a report
conducted by Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Romanians are the main employees of
hand-cash wash (HCW) operators (Rights Lab 2018). The reality was that these reports failed to
distinguish the difference between the Roma communities from Romania and Romanians with
the former being the subject of negative media attention. Refugees, for example, fall into a
different immigrant category with very different needs altogether and need to be distinguished
from the wider immigrants who bring with them useful labour and skills (Drummett, 2001).
Reduction in racism can be intervened by social policies which could reduce illnesses and
improve the health of racial and ethnic populations (Williams and Mohammed 2013). According
to a study conducted in Spain with Romanian immigrants to establish a link between
discrimination and its effects to their mental well-being, the results showed although there was a
direct correlation, the immigrants themselves had a relatively low level of perceived
discrimination and were generally happy provided that they were employed. (Fernandez et al.
2014).

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Theme 4: Situation of the Romanian migrants in the United Kingdom
The situation of the Romanian migrants within the context of the United Kingdom is
quite dire. The discrimination made against the people migrating from the countries of Bulgaria
and Romania are extensive as compared to the people coming from other parts of the world
within Britain. This is due to the fact they belong to the Eastern European countries (Cheregi
2015). There is a fear among the native British people that the migrants from Romania will
disrupt the cohesive nature of the British community with their different cultural identity. The
policy of the British Government to fully open the British market to the migrants have created a
frenzy within the media, where the native people have opposed this measure to a great extent
(Cheregi 2015). The United Kingdom Independence Party is one of the strong advocators for
abolishing the system of immigration in to the country to ensure that the resources of the region s
only available to the native people. In this respect, there is a need on the part of the government
of the country to ensure that the migrants are not facing any difficulty on the basis of
discrimination by the native people. Such instances of discrimination has a serious adverse
impact on the psychology of the migrants and which in turn affects their sense of cultural
assimilation within the native Britain community (Saggar and Drean 2001).
Summary
In summary, the chapter looks in to the various sources of literature that deals with the
issue of migrants. This chapter shows that there is a widespread prevalence of migration all
across the globe. However, such migrants are often subjected to certain sociological hardships as
a result of their outside identity. They are not easily accepted by the people of the host country
due to which their standard of living is severely affected during the initial days of their transition.
Moreover, all these sociological hardships but a psychological impact on the mental health of

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such migrants. As a result, the position and status of the migrants is quite forlorn in the states of
the world.

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Chapter 4: Methodology
Overview
This chapter looks in to the various methodologies which are utilized in order to proceed
with the research work. The specific chosen methods are stated and justified which helps in
analyzing the state of the Romanian migrants and their mental and cultural well-being within the
country of the United Kingdom.
Research Outline
This research study includes the grounded theory research philosophy, inductive
approach which employs descriptive design and the method of interview strategy in order to
analyse the status of the migrants in the foreign countries of the world. Moreover, the data is
collected with the help primary data collection methods. For this purpose, non-probability
sampling technique has been used which has helped the researcher to choose the potential
candidates of the target group that is the Romanian migrants living within Britain. The data
collected has been analyzed with the help of qualitative data analysis which has aided the
researcher to gain a subjective insight in to the issue.
Research Philosophy
The research employs the use of grounded theory approach. Grounded theory is used in
the case where new ideas and concepts are introduced and a new theory is generated (Stern and
Porr 2017). The data gathered in this research philosophy are given codes which are then
categorised in to concepts and categories. The purpose of grounded theory approach is to find the
main interrelationship between the different given factors in order to derive a better
understanding of the situation. As a result, the research philosophy of grounded theory has

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helped the research to analyse the the effects of cultural change on the Romanian immigrants’
professional identity and well-being who are living in United Kingdom.
Research Approach
The research has followed the inductive approach where the researcher has analyzed the
given data in order to generate a new theory. In this research study, the researcher is of the idea
that the migrants face certain difficulties in cultural assimilation in the place they migrated to.
Moreover, such migrants face a lot of psychological issues whereby they are depressed as a
result of their stay in a foreign land. Inductive approach has helped the research to analyse the
the effects of cultural change on the Romanian immigrants’ professional identity and well-being
who are living in United Kingdom (Creswell and Poth 2017).
Research Design
Descriptive research design has been employed in the making of this research study. The
various sources of data have been looked in to in a detailed manner. The descriptive research
design employs the characteristics of both explanatory and exploratory research design (Nassaji
2015). This has proved easy to analyse the various sociological and psychological issues
affecting the Romanian migrant working in the United Kingdom.
Research Strategy
The research strategy of interview has been followed in this research study. Interview
method involves the asking of questions to the chosen candidates (Kallio et al. 2016). The data
collected from these conducted interviews are then analyzed in order to understand the research
study in an effective manner.

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Sampling technique and size
This research study has employed the use of purposive non-probability sampling
technique. This has helped the researcher to select the candidates for interview for the purpose of
being able to understand the effects of cultural change on the Romanian immigrants’
professional identity and well-being who are living in United Kingdom.
Data Collection Process
The data collection technique that was employed in this research study was that of
primary means of data collection (Creswell and Poth 2017). The candidates for interview were
chosen from the target population of the Romanian migrants working in the context of the United
Kingdom. This has helped in the understanding of the effects of cultural change on the Romanian
immigrants’ professional identity and well-being who are living in United Kingdom.
Data Analysis Technique
The technique of qualitative data analysis has been utilized in this research study in order
to understand the information provided by the various interviewees. The researcher interpreted
the information in a verbatim manner and this was correlated with the information gathered from
the different sources of literature with the help of qualitative data analysis technique (Creswell
and Poth 2017).
Ethical Considerations
In order to ensure the execution of an effective research study, several ethical
considerations need to be taken in to account. The first consideration is that of confidentiality.
The identity of the different interviewees who participated in the study would be kept
confidential in order to maintain their anonymity. If their names is to be disclosed, it would be

24DISSERTATION
done with their consent. Moreover, the researcher would ensure the validity of the data by not
manipulating the data to suit the needs of the research study.
Summary
In summary, it can be noted that the different research methodologies that is employed in
this research study has been mentioned. They have also been justified to the extent of their
employment. The above mentioned methodologies have supported to understand the effects of
cultural change on the Romanian immigrants’ professional identity and wellbeing who are living
in United Kingdom.

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Chapter 5: Data Findings and Analysis
The cultural differences that are noticed between the people migrating from the region of
Romania and the natives of Britain are very subtle in nature (Alberti 2014). People of both the
places belong to the mainland of Europe. However, vast differences exist between them as a
result of their orientation. Britain is a country of the Western Hemisphere which believes in the
capitalist ideology. Romania, on the other hand, is a country of the Eastern Hemisphere and
therefore, has a socialist tendency attached to it (Andreouli and Howarth 2018). As a result of
their ideological differences, their culture also varies to a considerable extent. In the interview
conducted it could be observed that certain participants who represented the target population of
the Romanian migrants, felt that not much cultural differences could be noticed in Britain. 0.27%
of the Romanian migrants felt that the cultural differences were a shock to them. In other words,
they could not adjust themselves with the culture of Britain and hence, were discriminated
against. Furthermore, 0.66% of the target population believed that while living in a multicultural
country like Britain, it is quite obvious that the perception of the migrants will also change with
time. Some of the interviewees are of the opinion that Romania is a country where the mentality
of the people is still backward (Annisette. and Trivedi 2013). However, several of the candidates,
that is 2.08% of the population were of the idea that since there is a prevalence of many different
cultures within the context of Britain, the native people of the country are found to be accepting
and tolerant towards the migrants. These people did not find any difficulty or obstruction in the
development of their career after migrating to Britain (Zhang and Chun 2018). Moreover, 2.90%
of the target population found the people of Britain to be accommodating towards them.
However, on the other hand, around 0.69% of the candidates were of the view that the native
people of Britain were harsh and viewed the migrants with suspicions and doubts. This has been

26DISSERTATION
clearly evidenced in the literature review section. The people of Britain are not much favorably
inclined to the migrants coming from other parts of the world, especially that of Romania and
Bulgaria (Aroian and Norris 2000). The policy of the British Government to fully open the
British market to the migrants have created a frenzy within the media, where the native people
have opposed this measure to a great extent (Cheregi 2015).
With regard to the state of mental health of the migrants coming from Romania, it was found
out that initially they faced a lot of problems (Bernstein et al. 2011). 1.62% of the people are of
the view that while their lives have improved financially after coming from Romania, they ares
till facing a lot of mental challenges. This has been perceived to be in existence due to the
sociological obstacles faced by such migrants. Migrants of any country are not accepted by the
native population of the host country due to their alien identity (Berry and Annis 1974). They
believe that the migrants have come only to steal their jobs and their resources which are
rightfully theirs. As a consequence, often their is a feeling of hatred and mistrust when it comes
to the issue of migrants. The native people of Britain adheres to such a mind set. It is because of
this that around 0.56% of the target population found themselves to be depressed. According to
them, depression was the biggest challenge that they had to tackle after migrating to a foreign
country (Cardu 2007). Moreover, migration was not only due to the the issue of non-acceptance
of the society. It was also due to the fact that the migrants missed their family who were living
back in Romania. Due to their economic hardships, it was not possible for the entire family to
migrate to Britain as a result of which only the male members of the family usually migrate in
search of a better job and a decent standard of living (Dean and Wilson 2009). However, the
aspect of decent standard of living does not only mean economic in-dependency but also to live a
satisfied and content life. In this sense, this was found to be missing from amongst the Romanian

27DISSERTATION
migrants as 1.75% of the interviewees found themselves to be tired mentally. However, they
were of the idea that since a huge responsibility was placed on their shoulders, they had to keep
moving forward, in spite of the mental hardships.
Looking at the profession of the Romanian migrants working in the United Kingdom, it can
be observed that many of them are unemployed in non-remunerative posts (Dean and Wilson
2010). For instance, 0.16% of the migrants work in a warehouse worker, while 0.16% of the
target population do not any employment as of yet. 0.62% of the migrants from Romania are of
the view that even with a degree, it is quite difficult to find any job within Britain. This can be
noticed from the fact that the native population of Britain is not very accommodative to the
people immigrating in to the country. On the other hand, 0.80% of the target population are of
the view that after migrating to the country of Britain, more opportunities have come their way.
Moreover, 1.05% of the population have found better opportunities in the country and are
positive that their life has changed for the better in this country. The success of such migrants
can be attributed to the Government of Britain who has taken several important steps in order to
ensure that the migrants are properly assimilated in to the country (Fox 2013). It was in this
regard, that in 2007, the borders of the country were made open to most of the countries of the
world so that the people belonging to these countries can come and find a better standard of
living for themselves. However, what the Government failed to account for was the perception of
the native people who are yet to accept the migrants as their own people (Fox 2013).
The reasons for the migration of the people to the developed countries of the world may vary
from individual to individual but the primary reason is the same in most cases, that is the search
of a better job opportunity (Ganga and Scott 2006). In the case of the Romanian migrants, it has
been noticed that the 0.19% of the target population did not have a single job back in their own

28DISSERTATION
country and hence, they were compelled to migrate. Moreover, 0.48% of the target population
migrated with the hope of getting a financially better paying job. Furthermore, 0.69% of the
Romanian migrants who participated in the interview were of the view that there is a lot of
liberty in Britain which is not there in Romania (Grondin 2004). This is evidenced by certain
scholars who believe that the western ideology of Britain has made the country much more
liberal in outlook towards the individual freedom and their consequent rights. This is not the case
in terms of Romania where individual freedom is not given much priority. As a result, the hope
of finding a better job opportunity in Romania is quite difficult as people there are struggling
with their own existence (Fernández et al. 2015).
The main reason for migration is perceived to the be better job opportunity facility in Britain
(Kopp et al. 2007). 0.60% of the interviewees are of the idea that availability of jobs and
domains in the United Kingdom are easier and of course much better paid. Being a capitalist
country, the private sector is much more competitive when compared to that of Romania. The
organizations in Britain are always on the verge of expanding themselves as this would mean a
higher profit margin for the employers (Markova and Black 2008). This expansion of any
organization is only possible with the help of the employees and their level of production. As a
result, the business firms are quick to employ workers without much hassle, which in turn,
promotes the job seeking atmosphere within the country (Niu and Haugen 2018). Moreover,
0.63% of the population believes that the technological advancement of London has made the
country favorable to the migrants. Technological advancement means more job opportunities for
the people, which is the desire of every migrant (Niu and Haugen 2018). However, 1.27% of the
population are still found to be struggling. They are yet to find remunerative jobs and therefore,
are trying a maintain an optimistic environment about themselves. Britain is indeed a country

29DISSERTATION
which is technologically advanced and has a lot of job opportunities for the people (Seo and Kim
2007). However, such job opportunities are usually made available only to the native people of
the place. The employers are not very favorable upon the migrants and they prefer to have the
native British people at the helm of affairs rather than a migrant from a developing country. It is
the identity of the migrant which shapes their professional character to a considerable extent
(Tălmăcian 2017).
The Romanian migrants when asked the question about the utilization of their skills,
answered that they are still in need of improvement. 2.51% of the target population opined that
the places where they work at require more skills from them. This situation is visible from the
fact that in Romania, conditions are not favourable for the professional development of the
people (Turchick Hakak, Holzinger and Zikic 2010). Educational opportunities are limited and
even if they are present, the people there are not trained in professional work. In this sense, they
find it quite difficult to work in the organizational of Britain. 2.32% of the candidates found that
their skill set have improved to a considerable degree after they migrated to Britain. This is due
to the advanced occupational structure of the country which provides a lot of opportunities to the
people to improve themselves in terms of the available skill set (Vilcu 2014).
Summary
In summary, this chapter provides an analysis of the situation of the Romanian migrants
as existing in the United Kingdom. The information has been gathered from the candidates who
had participated in the process of interview. Combined with the knowledge derived from the
review of several literature, the analysis has been made that the condition of the Romanian
migrants is in need of improvement in Britain.

30DISSERTATION
Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendation
In conclusion it can be observed that the situation of the Romanian migrants working
within the region of the United Kingdom is quite forlorn in nature. Compared to the United
Kingdom, the country of Romania is not that well off. As a result, it is found to be lacking in
providing the necessary resources to its own people as a result of which, the country has
experienced large scale migration to the other neighbouring countries of the European Union.
The nation states of the EU are highly developed in their functioning as a consequence of which,
they are able to sustain a high standard of living for its own people. In this sense, the Romanians
have been found to migrate to the United Kingdom in search for a better standard of living by
engaging in certain remunerative jobs. However, the situation is not so as dreamt of by the
Romanian migrants. They are made to work in jobs which are not remunerative in nature. This
is so because of the non-utilization of their skill set. As a result of the de-skilling of the
Romanian migrants have generated a lot of frustration and a feeling of helplessness among the
migrants. They objective of realizing a better future for themselves and for their own family
members are left unfulfilled as a result of this. Moreover, the migrants are also made to suffer
certain sociological evils such as racial discrimination which severely impacts their mental
health. For instance, they Romanian migrants are seen to be belonging to an inferior race due to
their eastern European identity which is vastly different from the ‘white’ supremacy identity of
the native people belonging to the United Kingdom (Fox, Moroşanu and Szilassy 2015). All of
these factor combined together has degenerated the position of the Romanian migrants working
within the United Kingdom and has also severely impacted their mental well-being and cultural
identity within the said country.

31DISSERTATION
In order to improve the situation of the Romanian migrants working within the United
Kingdom, certain policies have been enacted within the context of the United Kingdom. The
discrimination made against the people migrating from the countries of Bulgaria and Romania
are extensive as compared to the people coming from other parts of the world. This is due to the
fact they belong to the Eastern European countries. There is a fear among the native British
people that the migrants from Romania will disrupt the cohesive nature of the British community
with their different cultural identity. The policy of the British Government to fully open the
British market to the migrants have created a frenzy within the media, where the native people
have opposed this measure to a great extent (Cheregi 2015). The United Kingdom Independence
Party is one of the strong advocators for abolishing the system of immigration in to the country
to ensure that the resources of the region s only available to the native people. In this respect,
there is a need on the part of the government of the country to ensure that the migrants are not
facing any difficulty on the basis of discrimination by the native people. Such instances of
discrimination has a serious adverse impact on the psychology of the migrants and which in turn
affects their sense of cultural assimilation within the native Britain community (Saggar and
Drean 2001). Positive responses and an atmosphere of acceptance from the British community
would go a long way to ensure the psychological and mental well-being of the migrants.
The second recommendation can be on the basis of the work atmosphere of the different
companies of Britain. There is a need on the part of the employers of the business organization to
cultivate an atmosphere of tolerance and harmony within the respective work places (Mintchev
2014). In this age of globalization, there is a possibility that people belonging to diverse cultural
background will be applying for jobs within the firms. As a result, cultural diversification should
be looked at favorably within the organization. The employees should be able to work together

32DISSERTATION
without discriminating against each other (Blinder and Allen 2011). Moreover, they should
tolerate each other in spite of their cultural and racial background, especially in the vases of the
migrants. It is only through this way that the potential skill set of any individual would be
utilized to the maximum extent. Utilization of the skills of the individual means that the true
worth of the person is recognized and respected. This in turn, would help to ensure that the
migrants are being able to live a life of dignity and integrity in the foreign nations and are
respected for their actions (Blinder and Allen 2011).
In conclusion, it can be observed that in the context of Europe, several restrictions were
in place with respect to the issue of migration. Since Romania and Bulgaria joined the European
Union in 2007 and restrictions lifted for their rights to work in the United Kingdom in 2014,
Romania has now become the second largest non-British nationality in Britain. Since then, the
subject of immigration was brought to public debate but research has shown that the dominant
views were biased towards immigrants being a threat to domestic social justice and public
security with fewer arguments supporting their benefits. In this context, the research study
research shows how the mental health of the Romanian migrants working in the United
Kingdom, is affected by the actions of the society and the people in their work place. As a result,
there is a need on the part of the government, the society and the private organizations to
generate a friendly and tolerant atmosphere within the country.

33DISSERTATION
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Appendix:
Appendix 1
Questions for interview
1. How would you describe your profession here in the Uk?
2. How has that changed from what you did previously before coming to the UK?
3. How does this fit with your career aspirations or plans? (e.g. do you consider the job you have
now is the one you have expected to have)
4. Would you say coming to the UK has been an advantage or a disadvantage in terms of your
career development? (e.g. how did the move affect you?
5. How would you describe the main cultural differences are between the UK and Romania?
6. Do you consider that the cultural differences have affected your career development?
7. What would you say are the biggest challenges you faced in terms of establishing your career
again in the UK and how did you overcome these?
8. What would you say are the key highlights of your move in terms of your career? (e.g. can you
progress in your job?)
9. Did you learn more about the British culture?
10. How did you adapt? Have you changed your accent?
11. Did you get more qualifications since you are in UK?
12. Would you say it was a good step moving out from your country and creating a life here?
13. How would you describe your well-being (physical and mental) since arriving in the UK?

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14. Do you consider you have more attention and feel safer when you go to a doctor here in the
UK rather than in Romania?
15. Do you see yourself in a different position here?
16. Would you believe your description above is related to any change in your professional
identity since arriving in the UK?
17. Is there anything else you would like to add?

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Appendix 2
Culture
<Files\\Culture> - § 3 references coded [1.10% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 0.49% Coverage
Reference 2 - 0.34% Coverage
Reference 3 - 0.27% Coverage
<Files\\A> - § 3 references coded [2.85% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 0.66% Coverage
<Files\\B> - § 1 reference coded [0.70% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 0.70% Coverage
<Files\\C> - § 2 references coded [3.35% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 2.08% Coverage

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Hardships
<Files\\B> - § 3 references coded [1.03% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 0.39% Coverage
<Files\\A> - § 2 references coded [1.99% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 1.10% Coverage
<Files\\H> - § 2 references coded [2.05% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 1.44% Coverage
Implications of mental health
<Files\\Culture> - § 2 references coded [0.91% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 0.66% Coverage
<Files\\V> - § 3 references coded [1.20% Coverage]

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Reference 1 - 0.60% Coverage
<Files\\X> - § 3 references coded [2.21% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 0.70% Coverage
<Files\\M> - § 2 references coded [2.85% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 1.23% Coverage
Profession
<Files\\K> - § 2 references coded [0.32% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 0.16% Coverage
<Files\\SA> - § 1 reference coded [0.62% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 0.62% Coverage

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<Files\\U> - § 1 reference coded [0.97% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 0.97% Coverage
Reasons for Migration
<Files\\Q> - § 2 references coded [0.67% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 0.19% Coverage
Reference 2 - 0.48% Coverage
<Files\\N> - § 2 references coded [1.32% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 0.69% Coverage
Situations in the United Kingdom
<Files\\I> - § 1 reference coded [0.60% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 0.60% Coverage

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<Files\\F> - § 2 references coded [1.26% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 0.63% Coverage
Reference 2 - 4.08% Coverage
Utilisation of Skills
<Files\\O> - § 3 references coded [1.38% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 0.34% Coverage
Reference 2 - 0.86% Coverage
<Files\\3> - § 1 reference coded [0.44% Coverage]
Reference 1 - 0.44% Coverage

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