1,720,974 research outputs found
A qualitative analysis of resilience related strengths and struggles of unaccompanied refugee minors in Norway
Full text linkThis research was carried out with the purpose of identifying how unaccompanied refugee
minors (URMs) become stronger and can adapt in the current multiple domains of their life in
Western Norway (e.g. school, community and social life), considering the added challenges of
acculturation. The study explored risk and protective factors that influence URMs emotional
well-being and coping, as well as the development of recovery of function or resilient
adaptation patterns in the face of previous significant adversity. The qualitative microethnographic study took place with a group of four URMs and a group of two professionals
from a public organization in a West Norwegian municipality. Data collection techniques
included interviews with URMs and the professionals who are working with them, as well as
participant observation and field notes. The data collection was focus on identifying URMs’
perceptions on their challenges, strengths and environmental resources that develop or hinder
their resilience.
The findings indicated challenges that limit resilience among refugee minors at the stage of
resettlement in the western Norway, including lack of support and guidance, language barrier,
cultural contrasts, cultural shock and acculturation stress. It was also found that participant’s
personal attributes including spirituality and faith, self-efficacy, natural abilities, hard work,
persistence and determination, gratitude, aspirations, motivations and focus on goals foster their
resilience. Finally, it was possible to identify and address how factors related to environmental
resources, culture and context aspects enhance or hinder resilience adaptation patterns.
Perceived factors that promote participants’ resilience, including social support from
professionals, peers and community resources and provision of opportunities for participation
in social activities, positive affiliation with peers and professionals, support and knowledge
received from the teachers, valuing education and healthy Norwegian refugee policy. The most
important determinants perceived by the participants as those that hinder their resilience were
the prevalence of risk factors such as stereotypes and stigma, cultural divides, and loss of their
family.
The findings from this inquiry provide new insights on the development of preventative
interventions and programs or improving existing ones and determining policy design in social
care to promote resilience and mental health recovery for unaccompanied refugee minors during
the post-migratory stage
‘I should participate because it's my own life’: Participation of Norwegian foster care youths
Full text linkMaster's thesis in Social workChildren and youth participation have been valued since it was regulated in the Articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1989. Scholars established various models to promote it (Hart, 1992; Sinclair, 1998; Shier, 2001; Wong, Zimmerman & Parker, 2010). However, there were limited studies about the participation in foster care youth in Norway, especially from youths’ perspectives. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the participation experiences of youths in Norwegian foster care. The experiences covered the perceptions of speaking up their voices, respecting to their opinions, taking their opinions into account, as well as making decisions in their daily lives.
Qualitative design research was used as a methodological approach with a transformative perspective as its interpretive framework. Three female youth age between 17 and 20 were recruited from a non-profit organization called The Change Factory (Forandringsfabrikkens in Norwegian) for interviews. The researcher conducted online interviews with a semi-structured interview guide. Thematic analysis was adopted for data analysis.
The results of the study showed that Norwegian foster youths perceived that their participations were not meaningful enough to affect their lives, even though they had daily participations. The youths also indicated that the levels social workers took part of their lives or in their decision-making process were different when they reached the legal age of medical consent and adulthood. Notably, the youths conveyed that on some occasions they were not willing to participate in. The factors contributing to the youths’ participation included adult-driven factors, a lack of trust and safety, cooperation, motivation, and fear. All the factors interplayed with each other and also had impacts on whether the youths would give up or keep practicing their participation. Lastly, the impacts that influence their participation the most contained life-changing possibilities, being master of their own lives, standing up for themselves, and fighting for rights of other children and youths.
The study concluded that youth participation has still not been valued enough from the youths’ perspectives. Making this improvement possible requires the awareness of the presumption, attitude, and power of professionals, practitioners, and policymakers towards children and youths
A qualitative analysis of resilience related strengths and struggles of unaccompanied refugee minors in Norway
Full text linkThis research was carried out with the purpose of identifying how unaccompanied refugee
minors (URMs) become stronger and can adapt in the current multiple domains of their life in
Western Norway (e.g. school, community and social life), considering the added challenges of
acculturation. The study explored risk and protective factors that influence URMs emotional
well-being and coping, as well as the development of recovery of function or resilient
adaptation patterns in the face of previous significant adversity. The qualitative microethnographic study took place with a group of four URMs and a group of two professionals
from a public organization in a West Norwegian municipality. Data collection techniques
included interviews with URMs and the professionals who are working with them, as well as
participant observation and field notes. The data collection was focus on identifying URMs’
perceptions on their challenges, strengths and environmental resources that develop or hinder
their resilience.
The findings indicated challenges that limit resilience among refugee minors at the stage of
resettlement in the western Norway, including lack of support and guidance, language barrier,
cultural contrasts, cultural shock and acculturation stress. It was also found that participant’s
personal attributes including spirituality and faith, self-efficacy, natural abilities, hard work,
persistence and determination, gratitude, aspirations, motivations and focus on goals foster their
resilience. Finally, it was possible to identify and address how factors related to environmental
resources, culture and context aspects enhance or hinder resilience adaptation patterns.
Perceived factors that promote participants’ resilience, including social support from
professionals, peers and community resources and provision of opportunities for participation
in social activities, positive affiliation with peers and professionals, support and knowledge
received from the teachers, valuing education and healthy Norwegian refugee policy. The most
important determinants perceived by the participants as those that hinder their resilience were
the prevalence of risk factors such as stereotypes and stigma, cultural divides, and loss of their
family.
The findings from this inquiry provide new insights on the development of preventative
interventions and programs or improving existing ones and determining policy design in social
care to promote resilience and mental health recovery for unaccompanied refugee minors during
the post-migratory stage
The Lived Experience of Ethiopian Immigrant Parents in Norway: Balance between the Past and Present
Full text linkBackground: Families endure changes to responsibilities upon migration regardless of the type of society they are integrating into. In an effort to fit into the new culture and social order, immigrant families encounter challenges however; the comprehensive welfare system in most Western societies will serve as a resource and opportunity for both native citizens and immigrants.
Objective: The objective of this study is to gain new knowledge about the lived experience of Ethiopian immigrant parents in Norway and the influence of the past context on their current parental behavioral practices.
Method: The research questions of the study are designed in a way that can be best answered and explained by qualitative research method; therefore the study is qualitative. The study is based on the analysis of semi-structured interviews with four Ethiopian immigrant parents who live in the western part of Norway. With the aim of selecting participants that are pertinent to the study topics, non-probability purposive sampling was used. A phenomenological research design was employed, and the results of the study were analyzed using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
Research Questions: The following research questions were designed to address the objective of the study. What are the experiences and challenges of Ethiopian immigrant parents in relation to parenting? How do Ethiopian immigrant parents living in Norway reflect on the differences in parental practices in the two countries? How do Ethiopian immigrant parents’ parental behavioral practices are being influenced by their past and present cultural contexts?
Findings: In terms of challenges, language, overburden on parents, fear of being not good enough, and limited power of parents over their children were discussed by the Ethiopian immigrant parents. In terms of opportunity, exposure to a new culture, better standard of living, and support from the welfare state was reflected upon by the participants.
Conclusions: The study concluded that with a regulation of the past and present life, it is possible to make the influence of the past context on the present parental behavioral practices positive and rewarding.
Recommendations: Based on the result and findings of the study, it is recommended that local citizens and the state play an imperative role in easing the challenges of immigrants parents, as the challenges of immigrants are always related to the community or the state
Beliefs, values and experiences of Filipino Christian parents in Norway
Full text linkFilipinos are all over the world, and a considerable number have been residing in Norway.
However, most studies on Filipino immigrant parents place emphasis on the well-being of migrant
children or have been situated in the United States. A study that fully intended to highlight parents
in the process of shifting contexts was then found necessary. Upon an encounter with Filipino
parents attending a Christian church in Norway, this study is aimed to determine the parenting
beliefs, values and experiences of these parents and to analyze how particular parenting beliefs,
values and experiences of four Filipino Christian parents interrelate. This study is a qualitative
instrumental case study by design. To acquire data to answer three research questions, a group
interview has been used. In addition, one-on-one interviews were conducted in order to acquire
more detailed information on the parenting beliefs and values and to validate the data from the
group interview. The results of this study showed the existence of eight major themes on parenting
beliefs and values and four major themes on parenting experiences. There were also seven
interrelations between these parenting beliefs, values and experiences. Lastly, this research
established that the Filipino Christian parents in Norway manifest strengths not just as individuals,
parents or migrants but also as a group. Placed together in a group, it was strongly evident that
such a set-up allowed them to support, respect and help each other
Beliefs, values and experiences of Filipino Christian parents in Norway
Full text linkFilipinos are all over the world, and a considerable number have been residing in Norway.
However, most studies on Filipino immigrant parents place emphasis on the well-being of migrant
children or have been situated in the United States. A study that fully intended to highlight parents
in the process of shifting contexts was then found necessary. Upon an encounter with Filipino
parents attending a Christian church in Norway, this study is aimed to determine the parenting
beliefs, values and experiences of these parents and to analyze how particular parenting beliefs,
values and experiences of four Filipino Christian parents interrelate. This study is a qualitative
instrumental case study by design. To acquire data to answer three research questions, a group
interview has been used. In addition, one-on-one interviews were conducted in order to acquire
more detailed information on the parenting beliefs and values and to validate the data from the
group interview. The results of this study showed the existence of eight major themes on parenting
beliefs and values and four major themes on parenting experiences. There were also seven
interrelations between these parenting beliefs, values and experiences. Lastly, this research
established that the Filipino Christian parents in Norway manifest strengths not just as individuals,
parents or migrants but also as a group. Placed together in a group, it was strongly evident that
such a set-up allowed them to support, respect and help each other
Child protection practitioners' perceptions of working with children whose rights were violated due to their participation in the protests in Thailand in the year 2020
Full text linkThis micro-ethnographic study aimed to explore the current understandings and perceptions of child protection practitioners working with children who were exposed to various forms of violence and restrictions due to their participation in protests in Thailand in the year 2020. The research strategy has been a qualitative approach. The interpretive framework used in this study is a postmodern perspective. The data collection was conducted using a semi-structured interview with three child protection practitioners who are the competent officials of the Thailand Child Protection Act (2003) as the primary source of data.
The thematic analysis of the data led to five overarching themes presented in three categories of participants’ perceptions- the perception of the children’s right to protest, the perception of the execution of the competent official roles and responsibilities in working with such children, and the perception of the changes that should be made to protect children in the context of a political protest. Firstly, this study found that the competent officials perceived that the right to protest is essential for children since children use protests to make adults listen to them and influence the social changes with their own actions. Each participant's perception of childhood influenced the competent officials to perceive the children’s right to protest differently. Secondly, when it comes to executing the competent official's roles, this study found that the competent officials perceived that they could perform just a light role as a mediator, and being a social worker is beneficial for them to work with such children. Lastly, the participants perceived that it is the state’s undeniable responsibility to protect children's well-being when they attend protests and promote children's right to participate in a democratic society
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