Migration is a global phenomenon and the varied social and individual nature of relocation, has led to cross-disciplinary perspectives of a process, both physical and emotional which forms a significant part of a person’s life. Historically, migration has been largely studied from a male perspective and has not specifically reflected the experiences of women. There has been a move towards recognising the need to study the experiences of female migrants. Cypriot migrants’ experiences, like those of women, have also been relatively neglected, with studies on migrant groups focusing upon more visible, larger groups for example, migrants from the West Indies, Africa and South Asia. Cypriots, along with Italians, Spanish and Portuguese have been overlooked
‘invisible migrants’.
This ethnographic study focuses upon the Greek Cypriot community living in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, a unique; small; rather isolated community. Most of its’ members originate in the same village in Cyprus and were initially involved in the service industry. The ethnography involved narrative interviews; a focus group; a virtual ethnography; participant observations; and the collection of documentation and photographic evidence. Drawing upon the theoretical concept of social capital, this thesis contributes to the understanding of the formation, transformation and erosion of this migrant community. It tells the story of how the community first began, how different organisation and institutions came to be and how these are eroding through the fluid processes of ‘bonding’ and ‘bridging’ capital. Findings from the research highlight women’s stories of migration and how they account for the process of migration; how they experience, maintain and challenge community boundaries which relate to feelings of inclusion and exclusion. The traditional role and expectations of women emerged from this research through the women’s stories of control, and this serves to fill a gap in knowledge around the experiences of female migrants living within this unique community
