The Social Costs Of Moving

Each year Americans are moving intercity, interstate and abroad. Chasing the American Dream is forcing people to migrate. Such a movement has its effects, some good and others not so good. On the downside, moving is at the price of the social well being of the traditional American family.

A conventional American family consists of at least two generations living together, with the elders living in the same house or in the same city. This concept of family is epitomized by rural America, but is fast losing relevance in cities where unitary families are a norm. Economic reasons are forcing Americans to make hard choices. These choices include moving away which has an adverse effect on their families. The elders of a family are the most affected when a decision to relocate is taken. This decision typically involves leaving behind the elders. The elders are thus faced with an "˜empty nest' which has a direct impact on their emotional health. Moving sometimes involves admitting the elders into old age homes. Such a move is difficult for some elders to cope with and they become depressed.

It is not that just the elders are affected. The absence of the grandfather and/or the grandmother has its effect on the children too. The moral values and lessons of life passed on verbally by the grandparents are lost to them.

Moving to a new place consumes finances. Any relocation is a challenge on your budget management, which would include careful assessment of your immediate liquidity, as well as your various insurance policies. Your interstate moves would of course be less painful than say a move abroad, which requires a longer and more judicious financial plan. Even unitary families are greatly affected financially. The children's need to move may well be financed by the parents thus increasing their burden. Despite doing that, the children may not reciprocate on reaching their new place thus straining the family social relations.

Intra-family and societal relations are affected by migration. Relocation involves, in most cases, leaving behind a part of your family, that vacuum requires to be filled up. When suitable role models do not fill the space, siblings become vulnerable to the darker sides of human nature and at a later stage visits to the psychiatrist become a norm. Why are Americans going in for psychiatric counseling in increasing numbers? The answer possibly lies in the disarray caused by the breakdown in the American family social structure - a possible outcome of migration. So should we as Americans reevaluate the way we have become or continue to chase the eternal rainbows - that's the question that needs answering.