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Meaning in Life and Lifelong Learning: The Case of Turkish Immigrants in the United Arab Emirates

Year 2018, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 29 - 57, 27.07.2018
https://doi.org/10.29250/sead.372164

Abstract

Adults’ psychological well-being is greatly
influenced by the meaning they attain in life. A lack of an established meaning
in life may cause distress, and urge individuals to indulge in activities
assisting in their quest for meaning. Immigration, be it a reason for or a
result of the quest for meaning, may seriously affect people’s psychological
well-being. A plethora of research has investigated the issues under-privileged
immigrants face, with little attention given to professional immigrants’
well-being. These people’s lifelong learning propensities relative to acquisition
of meaning in life have not received much attention either. The complementarity
between the two can increase our understanding of the psychological and
educational needs of professional immigrants. To this end, this research
investigated 50 professional Turkish immigrants’ experiences in the UAE. It
involved 30 female and 20 male adults with a mean age of 38. Data were collected
using two instruments borrowed from the literature on the topic. Results showed
that the participants’ scores for presence of and search for meaning were above
the threshold level indicating a positive attribute. The participants in the
female, mid-adulthood, and greater length of stay categories received higher
scores for presence of meaning in life. A weak, positive correlation occurred
between presence of meaning in their lives and lifelong learning scores;
however, a weak, negative correlation was detected between search for meaning
in life and lifelong learning scores. Results are discussed, and
recommendations are made to enhance professional immigrants’ acquisition of meaning
in life through engagement in lifelong learning.

References

  • Balcerowska, J. M., Biernatowska, A., Pianka, L., & Atroszko, B. (2016). Moderating effects of emotions on the relationship between learning competencies and meaning in life among university students. Research and Development of Young Scientists in Poland, 34-40.
  • Barret, W. (1962). Philosophy in the twentieth century. New York: Random House.
  • Baumeister, R. F. & Vohs, K. D. (2002). The pursuit of meaningfulness in life. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.). Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 608-618). New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Baumeister, R. F. (1991). Meaning of life. New York and London. The Guildford Press.
  • Ben-Sira, Z. (1997). Immigration, stress, and readjustment. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
  • Boniwell, I. (2006). Positive psychology in a nutshell: A balanced introduction to the science of optimal functioning. London: PWBC.
  • Britton, K., (1969).Philosophy and the meaning of life. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Chraif, M., & Dumitru, D. (2015). Gender differences on wellbeing and quality of life at young students at psychology. Procedia- Social and Behavioral Sciences, 180, 1579-1583.
  • Cheng, M., Hasche, L., Huang, H., & Su, X. S. (2015). The effectiveness of a meaning-centered psychoeducational group intervention for Chinese college students. Social Behaviour and Personality, 43(5), 741-756.
  • Cottingham, J. (2003). On the meaning of life. New York and London: Routledge.
  • Dei, G. J. S. (2016). Spiritual knowledge and transformative learning. In E. V. O’Sullivan, A. Morrell, & M. A. O’Connor (Eds.). Expanding the boundaries of transformative learning: Essays on theory and practice(pp. 121-134). New York: PALGRAVE.
  • Deveci, T. (2017). Lifelong learning skills: A comprehensive approach to meaningful and effective learning. Manuscript submitted for publication.
  • Deveci, T. (2014). The transformative learning experiences of learners of English as a foreign language at a university preparatory programme. Transformative Dialogues: Teaching and Learning Journal, 7(3), 1-19.
  • Eagleton, T. (2007). The meaning of life: A very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Elitok, S. P., & Straubhaar, T. (2010). Turkey: Change from an emigration to an immigration and now to a transit migration country. Hamburg: Hamburg Institute of International Economics.
  • Erdoğan, D., & Arsal, Z. (2016). The development of lifelong learning trends scale. Sakarya University Journal of Education, 6(1), 114-122.
  • European Commission (2007). The key competences for lifelong learning: A European framework. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.
  • Facione, P. A. (1990). Critical thinking: A statement of expert consensus- The Delphi Report. California: California Academic Press.
  • Frankl, V. E. (1985). Man’s search for meaning. New York: Washing Square Press.
  • Fursova. J. (2013). A journey of her own - A critical analysis of learning experiences among immigrant women: Assessing transformative learning and women’s resilience in community-based education programs (RCIS Working Paper 2013/3). Retrieved from Ryerson University, Ryerson Center for Immigration and Settlement website: http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/rcis/documents/RCIS_WP_Fursova_No_2013_3.pdf
  • Gable, S. L., & Haidt, J. (2005). What (and why) is positive psychology? Review of General Psychology, 9(2), 103-110.
  • Gai, F. (2014). The application of autonomous learning to fostering cross-cultural communication. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 4(6), 1291-1295.
  • Grouden, V., & Jose, P. E. (2014). How do sources of meaning in life vary according to demographic factors? New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 43(3), 29-38.
  • Ibrahim, F., & Heuer, J. R. (2016). International and Cultural Pscyhology. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.
  • Isphording, I. E. (2015). What drives the language proficiency of immigrants? IZA World of Labour: Evidence-based Policy Making, 177, 1-10. Retrieved from https://wol.iza.org/uploads/articles/177/pdfs/what-drives-language-proficiency-of-immigrants.pdf
  • Kaplan, G. A., Shema, S. J., & Leite, M. C. A. (2008). Socioeconomic determinants of psychological well-being: The role of income, income change, and income sources over 29 years. Ann Epidemiol,18(7), 531-537.
  • Kwon, O. (2003). Buddhist and protestant Korean immigrants: Religious beliefs and socioeconomic aspects of life. New York: LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC. Levinson, D. J. (1986). A conception of adult development. American Psychologist, 41(1), 3-13.
  • Longworth, N., & Davies, W. K. (2013). Lifelong learning: New vision, ne implications, new roles for people, organizations, nations and communities in the 21st century. London and New York: Routledge.
  • McLoughlin, D. (2016). Meaning in life in relation to locus of control and life satisfaction. (Unpublished master’s thesis). Dublin Business School, School of Arts, Dublin.
  • McMahan, E. A., & Dehart Renken, M. (2011). Eudaimonic conceptions of well-being, meaning in life, and self-reported well-being: Initial test of a mediational model. Personality and Individual Differences, 51, 589-594.
  • Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative dimensions of adult learning. Jossey Bass: San Francisco.
  • Mostert, M. P., & Spaulding, L. C. (2011). Learning challenges for adults with learning disabilities. In M. London (Ed.). The Oxford handbook of lifelong learning (pp. 422-440). Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Reker, G. T., & Woo, T. P. (2012). Personal meaning in life and psychosocial adaptation in the later years. P. T. P. Wong (Ed.). The human quest for meaning: Theories, research, and applications (2nd Ed.) (p. 433-456). New York: Routledge.
  • Robila, M. (2010). Eastern European immigrant families. New York: Routledge.
  • Schleicher, A. (2016, February 10). Migrant students ‘more motivated to learn’. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35492437
  • Sedikides, C., Wildschut, T., Routledge, C., Arndt, J., & Zhou, X. (2009). Buffering acculturative stress and facilitating cultural adaptation: Nostalgia as a psychological resource. In R. S. Wyer, C. Chiu, & Y. Hong (Eds.). Understanding culture: Theory, research, and application (pp. 361-378). New York and East Sussex: Psychology Press.
  • Sharma, R. (2006). The monk who sold his Ferrari: A fable about fulfilling your dreams and reaching your destiny. Mumbai: Jaico Pub. House.
  • Steger, M. F. (2009). Meaning in life. In S. J. Lopez & C. R. Snyder. The Oxford handbook of positive psychology (2nd Edition) (pp. 679-687). New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Steger, M. F., Oishi, S., & Kashdan, T. B. (2009). Meaning in life across the life span: Levels and correlates of meaning in life from emerging adulthood to older adulthood. Journal of Positive Psychology, 4, 43-52.
  • Steger, M. F., Frazier, P., Oishi, S., &Kaler, M. (2006). The Meaning in Life Questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and search for meaning in life. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53, 80-93.
  • Vygotsky, L.S. (1962). Thought and language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
  • Yalom, I. (1980). Existential psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books.
  • Yu, E.A., Chang, E. C., Yu, T., Bennett, S. C., & Fowler, E. E. (2016). Examining gender differences in the roles of meaning in life and interpersonal expectancies in depressive symptoms. Gender Issues. 1-20. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12147-016-9174-5
  • Yuchang, J., Mingcheng, H.,& Junyi, L. (2016). The relationship between meaning in life and subjective well-being in China: A meta-analysis. Advance in Psychological Science, 24(12), 1854-1863.
  • Wong, P. T. (1998). Implicit theories of meaningful life and the development of the personal meaning profile. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
  • Zika, S., & Cahmberlain, K. (1992). On the relation between meaning in life and psychological well-being. British Journal of Psychology, 83, 133-145.

Meaning in Life and Lifelong Learning: The Case of Turkish Immigrants in the United Arab Emirates

Year 2018, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 29 - 57, 27.07.2018
https://doi.org/10.29250/sead.372164

Abstract

Adults’ psychological well-being is greatly
influenced by the meaning they attain in life. A lack of an established meaning
in life may cause distress, and urge individuals to indulge in activities
assisting in their quest for meaning. Immigration, be it a reason for or a
result of the quest for meaning, may seriously affect people’s psychological
well-being. A plethora of research has investigated the issues under-privileged
immigrants face, with little attention given to professional immigrants’
well-being. These people’s lifelong learning propensities relative to acquisition
of meaning in life have not received much attention either. The complementarity
between the two can increase our understanding of the psychological and
educational needs of professional immigrants. To this end, this research
investigated 50 professional Turkish immigrants’ experiences in the UAE. It
involved 30 female and 20 male adults with a mean age of 38. Data were collected
using two instruments borrowed from the literature on the topic. Results showed
that the participants’ scores for presence of and search for meaning were above
the threshold level indicating a positive attribute. The participants in the
female, mid-adulthood, and greater length of stay categories received higher
scores for presence of meaning in life. A weak, positive correlation occurred
between presence of meaning in their lives and lifelong learning scores;
however, a weak, negative correlation was detected between search for meaning
in life and lifelong learning scores. Results are discussed, and
recommendations are made to enhance professional immigrants’ acquisition of meaning
in life through engagement in lifelong learning.

References

  • Balcerowska, J. M., Biernatowska, A., Pianka, L., & Atroszko, B. (2016). Moderating effects of emotions on the relationship between learning competencies and meaning in life among university students. Research and Development of Young Scientists in Poland, 34-40.
  • Barret, W. (1962). Philosophy in the twentieth century. New York: Random House.
  • Baumeister, R. F. & Vohs, K. D. (2002). The pursuit of meaningfulness in life. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.). Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 608-618). New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Baumeister, R. F. (1991). Meaning of life. New York and London. The Guildford Press.
  • Ben-Sira, Z. (1997). Immigration, stress, and readjustment. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
  • Boniwell, I. (2006). Positive psychology in a nutshell: A balanced introduction to the science of optimal functioning. London: PWBC.
  • Britton, K., (1969).Philosophy and the meaning of life. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Chraif, M., & Dumitru, D. (2015). Gender differences on wellbeing and quality of life at young students at psychology. Procedia- Social and Behavioral Sciences, 180, 1579-1583.
  • Cheng, M., Hasche, L., Huang, H., & Su, X. S. (2015). The effectiveness of a meaning-centered psychoeducational group intervention for Chinese college students. Social Behaviour and Personality, 43(5), 741-756.
  • Cottingham, J. (2003). On the meaning of life. New York and London: Routledge.
  • Dei, G. J. S. (2016). Spiritual knowledge and transformative learning. In E. V. O’Sullivan, A. Morrell, & M. A. O’Connor (Eds.). Expanding the boundaries of transformative learning: Essays on theory and practice(pp. 121-134). New York: PALGRAVE.
  • Deveci, T. (2017). Lifelong learning skills: A comprehensive approach to meaningful and effective learning. Manuscript submitted for publication.
  • Deveci, T. (2014). The transformative learning experiences of learners of English as a foreign language at a university preparatory programme. Transformative Dialogues: Teaching and Learning Journal, 7(3), 1-19.
  • Eagleton, T. (2007). The meaning of life: A very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Elitok, S. P., & Straubhaar, T. (2010). Turkey: Change from an emigration to an immigration and now to a transit migration country. Hamburg: Hamburg Institute of International Economics.
  • Erdoğan, D., & Arsal, Z. (2016). The development of lifelong learning trends scale. Sakarya University Journal of Education, 6(1), 114-122.
  • European Commission (2007). The key competences for lifelong learning: A European framework. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.
  • Facione, P. A. (1990). Critical thinking: A statement of expert consensus- The Delphi Report. California: California Academic Press.
  • Frankl, V. E. (1985). Man’s search for meaning. New York: Washing Square Press.
  • Fursova. J. (2013). A journey of her own - A critical analysis of learning experiences among immigrant women: Assessing transformative learning and women’s resilience in community-based education programs (RCIS Working Paper 2013/3). Retrieved from Ryerson University, Ryerson Center for Immigration and Settlement website: http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/rcis/documents/RCIS_WP_Fursova_No_2013_3.pdf
  • Gable, S. L., & Haidt, J. (2005). What (and why) is positive psychology? Review of General Psychology, 9(2), 103-110.
  • Gai, F. (2014). The application of autonomous learning to fostering cross-cultural communication. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 4(6), 1291-1295.
  • Grouden, V., & Jose, P. E. (2014). How do sources of meaning in life vary according to demographic factors? New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 43(3), 29-38.
  • Ibrahim, F., & Heuer, J. R. (2016). International and Cultural Pscyhology. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.
  • Isphording, I. E. (2015). What drives the language proficiency of immigrants? IZA World of Labour: Evidence-based Policy Making, 177, 1-10. Retrieved from https://wol.iza.org/uploads/articles/177/pdfs/what-drives-language-proficiency-of-immigrants.pdf
  • Kaplan, G. A., Shema, S. J., & Leite, M. C. A. (2008). Socioeconomic determinants of psychological well-being: The role of income, income change, and income sources over 29 years. Ann Epidemiol,18(7), 531-537.
  • Kwon, O. (2003). Buddhist and protestant Korean immigrants: Religious beliefs and socioeconomic aspects of life. New York: LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC. Levinson, D. J. (1986). A conception of adult development. American Psychologist, 41(1), 3-13.
  • Longworth, N., & Davies, W. K. (2013). Lifelong learning: New vision, ne implications, new roles for people, organizations, nations and communities in the 21st century. London and New York: Routledge.
  • McLoughlin, D. (2016). Meaning in life in relation to locus of control and life satisfaction. (Unpublished master’s thesis). Dublin Business School, School of Arts, Dublin.
  • McMahan, E. A., & Dehart Renken, M. (2011). Eudaimonic conceptions of well-being, meaning in life, and self-reported well-being: Initial test of a mediational model. Personality and Individual Differences, 51, 589-594.
  • Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative dimensions of adult learning. Jossey Bass: San Francisco.
  • Mostert, M. P., & Spaulding, L. C. (2011). Learning challenges for adults with learning disabilities. In M. London (Ed.). The Oxford handbook of lifelong learning (pp. 422-440). Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Reker, G. T., & Woo, T. P. (2012). Personal meaning in life and psychosocial adaptation in the later years. P. T. P. Wong (Ed.). The human quest for meaning: Theories, research, and applications (2nd Ed.) (p. 433-456). New York: Routledge.
  • Robila, M. (2010). Eastern European immigrant families. New York: Routledge.
  • Schleicher, A. (2016, February 10). Migrant students ‘more motivated to learn’. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35492437
  • Sedikides, C., Wildschut, T., Routledge, C., Arndt, J., & Zhou, X. (2009). Buffering acculturative stress and facilitating cultural adaptation: Nostalgia as a psychological resource. In R. S. Wyer, C. Chiu, & Y. Hong (Eds.). Understanding culture: Theory, research, and application (pp. 361-378). New York and East Sussex: Psychology Press.
  • Sharma, R. (2006). The monk who sold his Ferrari: A fable about fulfilling your dreams and reaching your destiny. Mumbai: Jaico Pub. House.
  • Steger, M. F. (2009). Meaning in life. In S. J. Lopez & C. R. Snyder. The Oxford handbook of positive psychology (2nd Edition) (pp. 679-687). New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Steger, M. F., Oishi, S., & Kashdan, T. B. (2009). Meaning in life across the life span: Levels and correlates of meaning in life from emerging adulthood to older adulthood. Journal of Positive Psychology, 4, 43-52.
  • Steger, M. F., Frazier, P., Oishi, S., &Kaler, M. (2006). The Meaning in Life Questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and search for meaning in life. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53, 80-93.
  • Vygotsky, L.S. (1962). Thought and language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
  • Yalom, I. (1980). Existential psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books.
  • Yu, E.A., Chang, E. C., Yu, T., Bennett, S. C., & Fowler, E. E. (2016). Examining gender differences in the roles of meaning in life and interpersonal expectancies in depressive symptoms. Gender Issues. 1-20. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12147-016-9174-5
  • Yuchang, J., Mingcheng, H.,& Junyi, L. (2016). The relationship between meaning in life and subjective well-being in China: A meta-analysis. Advance in Psychological Science, 24(12), 1854-1863.
  • Wong, P. T. (1998). Implicit theories of meaningful life and the development of the personal meaning profile. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
  • Zika, S., & Cahmberlain, K. (1992). On the relation between meaning in life and psychological well-being. British Journal of Psychology, 83, 133-145.
There are 46 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Studies on Education
Journal Section Makaleler
Authors

Tanju Deveci

Publication Date July 27, 2018
Submission Date December 28, 2017
Acceptance Date June 5, 2018
Published in Issue Year 2018 Volume: 3 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Deveci, T. (2018). Meaning in Life and Lifelong Learning: The Case of Turkish Immigrants in the United Arab Emirates. The Journal of Limitless Education and Research, 3(2), 29-57. https://doi.org/10.29250/sead.372164

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