E-notes from Anne

An open floor plan. A wireless LAN that only works in the kitchen. A nearby enclosed park. A dining table that will only fit right next to the front door.

These are some of the home design changes I've heard about in our newest research study, At Home Abroad: How Design and Architecture Influence Overseas Living. Kate Goggin and I are trying to document the importance of home environments to overseas living, and examine the relationship between housing choices and expatriate adjustment. I'm especially interested in how some of the home, furniture and appliance changes that expatriates inevitably face influence the interactions they have with their families. Like this:

The open floor plan? One participant noted that it forces her husband and her to whisper all evening so their children can sleep - could be nice, could get old, if you ask me. Another participant dearly missed the open floor plan of her previous home, because she used to be able to keep her eye on her kids; now they're each in their own closed rooms.
The kitchen-only wireless LAN? That participant was in a country with no English programming on TV so she was spending a lot more time in the kitchen - better cooking? weight gain?
The nearby enclosed park allowed one participant's children to play safely outside without her for the first time in their lives, but introduced some awkward interactions with her neighbors.
And the dining table had some amazing ripple effects. This participant remembered happy family meals around a large kitchen table in their previous home; in the new home, the only place the table would fit made it magnet for junk, and so now the family eats, silently, in front of the TV instead.

Of course many of these could happen in domestic moves too, but expatriates are likely to face a larger number of potential changes because of different cultural and architectural styles that reflect countries' different social histories. They may also have restricted choice in where to live, by virtue of housing policies, finances, and available information.

We're eager to document if and how one's home is related to one's adjustment when living in a new country. If you are currently living outside your passport country, we'd love you to participate in this survey; or please pass this email on to someone who is. It takes about 20 minutes and, we hope, will be thought provoking to you - and of course helpful to us. We welcome digital photos that illustrate your input, if you have them. To show our appreciation, we will award one $100 amazon gift certificate to one participant for every 50 people who complete the survey. Just click here to get started - and thanks.

OK, it's exam time. How many of these questions could you get right? You'll find all the answers in the hot-off-the press Third Edition of our book, Understanding American Schools, co-authored with Georgia Bennett. Every statistic and fact, phone number and figure has been updated, and there's an expanded section on High School issues, which is what I'll feature in today's quiz.

Which of these statements is true:
A. There is a national requirement that high school students must pass four years of English and math, and three years of science and social studies.
B. There are no national requirements for high school students; each state makes its own rules.

One “credit” in a U.S. high school:
A. is given to a year-long course that meets 40 minutes
B. refers to the number of days per week the course meets; a five-credit course meets five days per week
C. either a or b could be true; each system makes its own definitions of what a “credit” means

About _____ the states in the U.S. require high school students to pass a state-wide exam in order to graduate.
A. 25%
B. 50%
C. 75%

The G.E.D. (General Education Development) high school equivalency certificate requires proficiency in:
A. essay writing
B. interpreting literature
C. the arts
D. all of the above

Which of these Advanced Placement courses is not one of the three most common offered in the U.S.?
A. English Literature
B. Biology
C. U.S. History
D. Calculus

A “dual credit” course:
A. earns both Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate credit
B. earns both high school and college credit

Which are the three most common high school sports?
A. basketball, ultimate frisbee and swimming
B. swimming, American football, and soccer
C. American football, basketball and swimming

Send me your answers; if you get them all right, we’ll send you a free copy of the book when you order ten others – do the math on that one and you’ll be delighted!

look at the issues you deal with every day from a completely new perspective?
meet hundreds of people who are simultaneously just like you and very different from you?
spend the better part of three days thinking about issues that are right smack in the center of your professional (and maybe personal) life, with people who will broaden your perspective and offer encouraging suggestions?
drink from a well of heart-felt ideas that inspire your career?

Well, you can do all that, at the 2008 Families in Global Transition conference, just a few weeks away (March 6-8, 2008, in Houston). This unique conference brings together professionals from a wide range of sectors that move families from one country to another – probably your sector and maybe sectors you rarely interact with – corporate, foreign service, military, education, missions, and humanitarian NGOs. The approach to family support, the reason for the moves, the individual experiences differ widely. But at the center of the conference, at its heart, we commonly ask what, “What’s it like for the accompanying spouse and children?” “What can families and organizations do to maximize the success of the assignment?” “What are the long-term benefits and challenges these families face?”

I’ve been going to FIGT since 2001, never skipping a one. In many ways I’m very different from most people who go, but in core ways, in values and goals for my life’s work, I’m totally at home. This year, I’m the Program Director and I can vouch for the lively, exciting program we've got planned -- keynote speakers, concurrent sessions, and brief and extended discussions. Early Bird (discounted) registration ends January 31. I hope you’ll register right now and let me know you’re coming – I’d love to say hello.

P.S. FIGT’s 2008 program is again recognized by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) / Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) as an excellent resource and opportunity to earn from 6.5 to 12.5 credits for your PHR, SPHR, GPHR professional certification.