“Barriers that can Drive Someone Crazy” Self-Disclosure and Highly Skilled Transnational Migrants’ Abilities to Cope with Social Difficulties

Abstract

With the high demand for highly skilled transnational migrants and yet little known about how they navigate social challenges, the need to examine their lived difficult social experiences and how they manage their social difficulties becomes pertinent. Therefore, this research investigates the social difficulties faced by highly skilled transnational migrants in Sweden and examines the impact of self-disclosure on their coping abilities. Drawing on Social Penetration Theory (SPT) to address this research gap, the study analyses the lived experiences of 12 highly skilled transnational migrants (6 males and 6 females) from 8 countries through semi-structured interviews, with data thematically analysed using Nvivo 14. With ten themes realised, the study uncovered major and common social difficulties highly-skilled transnational migrants face in Sweden namely language barrier, difficulty making friends, difficulty managing workplace relations and difficulty navigating the Swedish society and social situations. Critically examining the patterns of self-disclosure through the lens of SPT showed that the dynamics of self-disclosure enactment account for its outcomes. Ultimately, the study found that self-disclosure has psychological and solution-oriented outcomes that impacted their coping abilities. The study extends empirical studies in the domains of SPT and self-disclosure beyond disclosure/non-disclosure and relationship development to coping with social difficulties in a new country, specifically Sweden. As a result, it highlights the applicability of SPT to relational contexts beyond romantic relationships. Findings from the study provide pathways for improved integration efforts relevant to policy makers and transnational migrants themselves.