Does Family Matter for Recent Immigrants' Life Satisfaction?

• In Event: 220 - Section on the Sociology of the Family Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 10. Family and Relationship Satisfaction

Abstract

Family is central to many aspects of the migration experience, but just as it can be an important source of support, it can be a source of stress. Using the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada , a nationally representative survey of recent immigrants, this paper explores the influence of co-residents on satisfaction with life in Canada. Results of cross-sectional logistic regression models indicate no significant associations of co-residents and life satisfaction once controlling for economic integration, at both six months and four years after arrival. To study how living arrangements influence changes in life satisfaction over time, I estimate fixed- and random-effects logistic regression models. Random-effects models estimate a negative association between changes in satisfaction and living with children, and a positive association with living with relatives. However, these coefficients are systematically biased and co-residents in the household are not significantly associated with changes in satisfaction once time-constant factors are accounted for. This indicates that time-constant characteristics including personality, a key factor influencing satisfaction, may be selecting individuals into types of living arrangements. Overall, findings show large and significant influences of indicators of economic integration on satisfaction in the destination country, while co-residents and living arrangements have a small influence.

Author

• Claudia Patricia Masferrer Leon, McGill University