American Journal of Community Psychology
Volume 62, Issue 3-4, 2018, Pages 492-507
Closing Information Gaps in Kakuma Refugee Camp: A Youth Participatory Action Research Study (Article)
Bellino M.J.* ,
the Kakuma Youth Research Group
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a
School of Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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b
[Affiliation not available]
Abstract
This study explores the role of academic and social support on young people's educational pursuits in Kenya's Kakuma Refugee Camp. Pairing ethnographic methods with youth participatory action research, we find that support often manifests as abstract, decontextualized encouragement with little grounding in the educational opportunity structure. We argue that this motivational discourse generates information gaps, fueling aspirations that neither prepare youth for understanding, nor navigating the constraints they will encounter. In response, we designed a social media platform orienting Kakuma youth to the opportunity structure, while encouraging them to set realistic goals and plan accordingly. Designing a resource by, for, and with Kakuma youth, we illustrate that refugees have the rights and means to access information on which their everyday well-being and futures depend. This study illustrates that critical understanding of local and global opportunities can empower, rather than demoralize, young people as they shape their futures in exile. © 2018 Society for Community Research and Action
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Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85053425544&doi=10.1002%2fajcp.12277&partnerID=40&md5=617036f4eb482d813730511dbf9d9fdf
DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12277
ISSN: 00910562
Original Language: English