Class
Article
College
Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services
Department
School of Teacher Education and Leadership
Faculty Mentor
Sherry Marx
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Having to flee your home and live in a refugee camp is a difficult situation that many people around the world experience. In order to provide support to refugees it is important to understand their experiences. Listening to the memories of past refugees can help us to better understand their experiences in refugee camps and the conditions and experiences that contributed to their sense of place after being forced to flee their homes. I analyzed interview data from 11 refugees that settled in Cache Valley after living in refugee camps in Ethiopia or Thailand. The semi-structured interviews are housed in the Utah State digital archives and relate the experiences of individuals forced to fee their homes to escape ethnic and religious persecution, as well as the violence of war. I used a spatial framework to try and gain insights into the question, what are the significant circumstances that contributed to individuals’ sense of place while living in a refugee camp? I found six main themes that describe refugees' experiences related to safety and autonomy. Understanding the conditions and experiences that shape refugees' sense of place can allow us to provide better support to refugees while in camps and as they relocate to new homes.
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
4-11-2023 12:30 PM
End Date
4-11-2023 1:30 PM
Included in
Creating a Positive Sense of Place: Feelings of Safety and Autonomy in a Refugee Camp
Logan, UT
Having to flee your home and live in a refugee camp is a difficult situation that many people around the world experience. In order to provide support to refugees it is important to understand their experiences. Listening to the memories of past refugees can help us to better understand their experiences in refugee camps and the conditions and experiences that contributed to their sense of place after being forced to flee their homes. I analyzed interview data from 11 refugees that settled in Cache Valley after living in refugee camps in Ethiopia or Thailand. The semi-structured interviews are housed in the Utah State digital archives and relate the experiences of individuals forced to fee their homes to escape ethnic and religious persecution, as well as the violence of war. I used a spatial framework to try and gain insights into the question, what are the significant circumstances that contributed to individuals’ sense of place while living in a refugee camp? I found six main themes that describe refugees' experiences related to safety and autonomy. Understanding the conditions and experiences that shape refugees' sense of place can allow us to provide better support to refugees while in camps and as they relocate to new homes.