This paper compares the motivations and characteristics of the recent migration to London of young-adult graduates from Germany, Italy and Latvia. Conceptually the paper links three domains: the theory of core-periphery structures within Europe; the notion of London as both a global city and a 'Eurocity'; and the trope of 'crisis'. The dataset analysed consists of 95 in-depth biographical interviews and the paper's main objective is to tease out the narrative similarities and differences between the three groups interviewed. Each of the three nationalities represents a different geo-economic positioning within Europe. German graduates move from one economically prosperous country to another; they traverse shallow economic and cultural boundaries. Italian graduates migrate from a relatively peripheral Southern European country where, especially in Southern Italy, employment and career prospects have long been difficult, and have become more so in the wake of the financial crisis. They find employment opportunities in London which are unavailable to them in Italy. Latvian graduates are from a different European periphery, the Eastern one, postsocialist and post-Soviet. Like the Italians, their moves are economically driven whereas, for the Germans, migration is more related to lifestyle and life-stage. For all three groups, the chance to live in a large, multicultural, cosmopolitan city is a great attraction. And for all groups, thoughts about the future are marked by uncertainty and ambiguity.

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We aimed to explore the level of inter- and intra-individual variation in applied force when listening at a surface, and assess the resulting variation in earprints. We further intended to identify possible sources of this variation. Forty subjects each listened twenty-four times at a surface while applied force was recorded. In between efforts the level and frequency of the target sound, and the level of ambient noise were varied. Each listening effort was characterized by two values: the mean of a series of force recordings ('functional force') and the highest force reading of the effort ('peak value'). A mixed model analysis of variance revealed that repetition during multiple efforts of listening and the level of the target sound significantly affected both values for applied force. The frequency of the target sound affected the peak value, but we assume this was due to confounding effects. The level of ambient noise did not affect applied force. To explore the correlation between values for applied force of various efforts by single ear, the intra-class correlation coefficient was calculated. For functional force it was 0.80; for the peak value it was 0.79. To study intra-individual variation in earprints, five prints from each ear were lifted and studied. Variation in prints is discussed.

In this article, we explore the effect of the occurrence of a target sound on the force that is applied by the ear when listening at a surface because differences in applied force induce variation in carprints of a single ear. Forty two subjects each listened four times at a surface. During two of these listening efforts there was silence. While the subjects were listening, we measured the amount of force that was applied to the surface. To explore the effect of the occurrence of a target sound upon applied force, we applied a mixed model analysis of variance. The force applied by the ear appeared to be uncorrelated to presence or absence of a target sound. This lack of association appeared not to be the result of potential confounders. Only repetition (i.e., the position of a listening effort in the series of four), appeared to significantly affect applied force; this force being generally lower during a first listening effort.