Pathways to Success: A Narrative Inquiry into the Settlement and Integration Experiences of Refugees from Ethiopia in Canada
Date
2024-04-26
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Abstract
This study explored pathways to success through a narrative inquiry into the settlement and integration experiences of refugees from Ethiopia living in Canada. The study filled an important gap in information that accounted for success by refugees, although there was ample evidence regarding the structural challenges faced by all groups of newcomers in Canada. The end-goal was to develop a deeper understanding into how adult learning could be tailored to meet the needs of refugees and possibly other groups of newcomers. The theoretical frameworks that guided this study included insights about the role of agency, structure, and lifelong learning primarily through the scholarly contributions by Pierre Bourdieu, Anthony Giddens, and Peter Jarvis. Additionally, the study included insights by multiple scholars who explored the settlement and integration experiences of newcomers in Canada. The narrative data was collected through conversational interviews with the participants. Afterwards, the data was transcribed, analyzed, and stored in consideration of ethical practices. The study revealed multiple perspectives on the meaning of success based on insights shared by the participants. Notably, all of the participants attributed their agency as the primary factor in pathways to success, despite multiple structural barriers throughout settlement and integration in Canada. Still, the participants acknowledged the merits of structural and social support. Conclusively, lifelong learning played a key role to enhance agency.
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Agency, Habitus, Social Capital, Structure, Adult Learning, Lifelong Learning, Narrative Inquiry, Success, Refugees from Ethiopia, Newcomers, Settlement and Integration
Citation
Cherinet, A. (2024). Pathways to success: a narrative inquiry into the settlement and integration experiences of refugees from Ethiopia in Canada (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.