Degree Date

3-2021

Document Type

Dissertation - Public Access

Degree Name

Ph.D. Doctor of Philosophy

Academic Discipline

Community Psychology

First Advisor

Brad Olson

Second Advisor

Tiffeny Jimenez

Third Advisor

Ericka Mingo

Abstract

Resettled Refugees require humanizing approaches to community integration that promote healthy levels of independence and connection to the U.S. cultural practices, similar to that of home communities. Instead, a host culture dominates with complex and "none-reachable" profit-making institutions suffocating home culture practices. Within this context, this study attends to the social dysfunctionality that occurs beyond an interpersonal stress-adaptation-growth dynamic and clarifies why research often failed to understand a more successful refugee cultural integration experience.

The research was a systemic review of refugee strategies of survival collaboratively obtaining perceptions post-settlement: attitudes, motivations, interests, experiences, and expectations and the different ways in which environmental factors influence hope, values, cultural beliefs, and other decision-making. The two-part study narrative research explores adopted strategies of survival to gain an in-depth understanding of their survival psychology. To compare the usefulness of experiences gained before arriving in the U.S. To investigate if government interventions are complimenting refugee strategies of survival.

The result of both studies, in brief, suggests the need for more empowering (i.e., participatory) interventions. Therefore, in keeping with a strength-based approach, this study's additional objective is to provide participants with a therapeutic medium to narrate their stories to begin the healing process.

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