Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung
Volume 16, Issue 3, 2015

Refugee youth and migration: Using arts-informed research to understand changes in their roles and responsibilities (Article)

Guruge S.* , Hynie M. , Shakya Y. , Akbari A. , Htoo S. , Abiyo S.
  • a Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada
  • b Department of Psychology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
  • c Access Alliance Multicultural Multicultural Health and Community Services, 340 College Street, Suite 500, Toronto, ON M5T 3A9, Canada
  • d Access Alliance Multicultural Multicultural Health and Community Services, 340 College Street, Suite 500, Toronto, ON M5T 3A9, Canada
  • e Access Alliance Multicultural Multicultural Health and Community Services, 340 College Street, Suite 500, Toronto, ON M5T 3A9, Canada
  • f Access Alliance Multicultural Multicultural Health and Community Services, 340 College Street, Suite 500, Toronto, ON M5T 3A9, Canada

Abstract

This article presents the findings from a community-based qualitative study that utilized an arts-informed method to understand the changes in refugee youth’s roles and responsibilities in the family within the (re)settlement context in Canada. The study involved 57 newcomer youths from Afghan, Karen, or Sudanese communities in Toronto, who had come to Canada as refugees. The data collection method embedded a drawing activity within focus group discussions. We present these drawings, as well as explanations and discussions to capture the complexities of their experiences. The data analysis involved 1. reflective dialogue between each participant and her/his own drawing; 2. group dialogue, reflection, and elaboration on meanings in the drawings; and 3. the research team’s reflective dialogue. The findings revealed that the youths' roles and responsibilities have both changed and increased following migration, often involving interpretation and translation, and providing financial and emotional support to their family members, in addition to engaging in household chores and educational pursuits. Use of drawings as a data generation method enriched the findings of focus group discussions, and vice versa in a number of ways. We also present implications for future research involving arts-informed methods. © 2015, Inst. fur Klinische Psychologie und Gemeindepsychologie. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

Refugee youth qualitative research Artsinformed research Migration Within group analysis Arts-informed method Afghan youth Roles and responsibilities Karen youth Immigration Multilevel data analysis Canada Across group analysis Sudanese youth Drawings

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84938770513&partnerID=40&md5=a405228fcf49cb1a7ff9efc1f0de45bc
ISSN: 14385627
Cited by: 9
Original Language: English