International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology

The International Promotion Agency of Culture Technology (국제문화기술진흥원)
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Finding factors for resilience using a strength-based approach: Refugees and asylum seekers coping with life adversities

  • Received : 2019.10.31
  • Accepted : 2019.11.22
  • Published : 2019.12.31
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Abstract

The strength or resilience of refugees is a less emphasized area as the discourse in refugee mental health study mainly weighs on pathologizing the effects of refugee experiences. Within the lenses of strength and resilience, this study explored how refugees and asylum seekers, who experienced violence and loss, coped with trauma and hardship in their newly established lives in South Korea. In this study we analyzed survey data collected from 100 participants (55 asylum seekers and 45 refugees) through open-ended questions. We analyzed narratives for both content and form and provided evidence for factors that reflect coping strategies used by participants to overcome their life adversities. The findings gave rise to; (a) character traits like strong religiosity, personal determination, patience to forbear, hopefulness, and peaceful acceptance of current circumstance; (b) relationships, in the sense of meaningful strong bonds within family members and the instinctive personal resourcefulness to utilize support resources within and outside of their communities; (c) learned skills after migraing to korea; (d) knowledge sets in how to get by in korea; (e) personal talents, and (f) extra abilities that gave power to pass socio-economic difficulties. The findings underscore the importance of considering the strength-based approach either in discussing resilience or intervention. Our approach will allow practitioners to acknowledge that refugees and asylum seekers potentially have a unique set of strengths and abilities that they rely on to overcome their immediate and future problems. It will also guide practitioners as they devise their intervention schemes.

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