CCCRW/IGS members held an informal workshop under this programme on November 6th. It was splendid start to the academic year, and a chance for members, particularly our new visiting fellows, to engage in discussion and help carry this programme forward.

The purpose of the workshop was twofold:

• to learn something of the work that members and colleagues have done and are doing in this area and
• to generate discussion on the issues and ideas that are emerging, to try to tease out trends and to brainstorm concepts to take forward in the future.

  The workshop was about essentially privileged groups, corporate expatriates and diplomats. This contrasts with most of the work on migration, which focuses on poorer groups. However, many of the social and familiar issues affecting migrants, particularly temporary migrants, seem to be the same whatever their economic status. In this age of globalisation, it is not irrelevant (or immoral) to look at the factors affecting professional and sometimes powerful groups working abroad.

  The scope of the presentations varied. We moved from the global and the theoretical to a small-scale ethnographic study, which has considerable practical interest. Fiona Moore, who recently gained her doctorate in anthropology on German bankers, explored the concept of a Global Capitalist Class. Nancy Barbosa, a free-lance marketing and cross-cultural specialist (and the only outside speaker), provided an up-to-date overview of British business expatriates, both assignees and spouses. Marian van Bakel, presented some of the research she did for her masters in cross-cultural business communication in Holland last year, looking at Dutch expatriates in England and France. As a new visiting study fellow she is looking at the cultural factors affecting Dutch diplomatic families in London. Emefa Amoako discussed the findings of the study she did last year as a fellow at CCCRS, looking at the factors affecting the lives of Ghanaian diplomats' wives posted to London.

  The meeting was facilitated by Anne Coles, who co-ordinates the programme and whose own work has a particular emphasis on identity, learning and adaptation when spouses are faced with a lifetime of moves. Deborah Bryson, who co-edited the recently published book Transnational Families, acted as an informal commentator…..when she could get a word in! The discussion was very rich. Anne is very grateful to everyone who took part….their ideas will not go unheeded!

  Report by Anne Coles