Journal of Refugee Studies
Volume 28, Issue 1, 2015, Pages 69-92

Narrative and silence: How former refugees talk about loss and past trauma (Article)

Puvimanasinghe T.* , Denson L.A. , Augoustinos M. , Somasundaram D.
  • a School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia
  • b School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia
  • c School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia
  • d Discipline of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia

Abstract

Using narrative methodology this paper analyses the life stories of 25 former refugees from two African countries, resettled in Australia. Study findings demonstrated a salient divergence between the stories of the two communities; within which there were also individual differences in structure and content of participants' narratives. Five narrative types were identified along a continuum from detailed disclosure to near-complete silence about traumatic events and experiences. They were: (1) avoiding narratives; (2) struggling narratives; (3) prompted narratives; (4) narratives exceeding demarcated boundaries of disclosure; and (5) returning narratives. We discuss these differences in narrative structure, narrated experience, identity reconstruction, and meaning-making within the context of the personal, interpersonal, sociocultural and historical influences that have shaped the lives of participants. Findings were supported by interviews with 25 resettlement agency staff. Broader implications of the study's findings for therapists and researchers working with refugees are also discussed. © The Author 2014.

Author Keywords

Australia Meaning narrative Identity Refugee qualitative trauma

Index Keywords

international migration Africa qualitative analysis refugee migrants experience Australia
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84941308827&doi=10.1093%2fjrs%2ffeu019&partnerID=40&md5=b90e3137286712a1516df29af11adc9d
DOI: 10.1093/jrs/feu019
ISSN: 09516328
Cited by: 8
Original Language: English