‘For a Secure and Stable Life’: Constructing Life Satisfaction in the ‘Migratory Careers’ of Russian Immigrant Physicians in Finland
‘For a Secure and Stable Life’: Constructing Life Satisfaction in the ‘Migratory Careers’ of Russian Immigrant Physicians in Finland

Summary/Abstract: This article investigates the subjective life satisfaction of Russian immigrant physicians in Finland. Itfocuses on how life satisfaction is subjectively experienced and interpreted post migration in a bid toidentify the resources which influence it in both work and family domains. The advantage of life satisfactionis taking it as a unifying cross-disciplinary conceptual framework and as a multidimensional analyticalapproach, including macro-societal, meso-relational, and micro-personal levels. We use the concept of themigratory career to analyse work and family life on migration journeys. These life evaluations are analysedusing a sociological conception of subjective life satisfaction and a psychological conception of wellbeingas guiding principles in theory and analysis. Based on 26 semi-structured qualitative interviews, the studyfinds that an interplay between societal-structural and personal-relational resources makes the intervieweessatisfied with their work and family lives. Societal-structural resources included the work environment, income,life security and stability, while personal-relational resources included social support, social trust, and familyrelationships. Beyond the classical income and job security, we find our participants’ experienced andinterpreted life satisfaction is essentially associated with outcomes of family-friendly and supportive workconditions. Moreover, social and personal security and family stability are important for their quality oflife in a characteristic Nordic social environment.

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