Magister Artium (Child and Family Studies) - MA(CFS) / The main aim of this study was to explore lived experiences of unaccompanied foreign minors in South Africa from a social work perspective. An important goal was to also explore the lack of guidelines on how to assist these young people. This study was conducted in a Children's Shelter, which is situated in the North-Eastern outskirts of Polokwane, where a group of unaccompanied refugee children from Zimbabwe were living. This study was qualitative and explorative in nature. Non-probability sampling was used to select participants for the study. Ten children were selected, ranging from age 14 to 18 years. Semi-structured interviews with the children and a focus group discussion with five care workers were held. Thematic analysis was used. The findings of this study revealed that services by government social workers are limited compared to those from social workers employed with nongovernmental organisations. It is hoped that this study will assist government and other role players in planning, advocacy and policy development related to the issues affecting unaccompanied refugee children. / South Africa

De senaste 25 åren har antalet migranter fördubblats vilket medför bildandet av mångkulturella samhällen, där den tvärkulturella kommunikationen blir en viktig aspekt i förebyggandet av konflikter. Detta examensarbete kartlägger hur HVB-hem hanterar konflikter när den tvärkulturella kommunikationen brister mellan handledare och ensamkommande flyktingbarn. Vidare syfte är att undersöka vilka konfliktfaktorer som finns och hur konflikter hanteras inom HVB-hem. Studien utgår från en kvalitativ forskningsmetod och bygger på tio stycken semistrukturerade intervjuer som analyserats genom en tematisk analys. Resultatet visar att det inte finns några etablerade konflikthanteringsstrategier som handledarna använder sig av i konfliktsituationer. De strategier som tillämpas var alternativa metoder som växt fram under arbetsgången i interaktionen med ungdomarna. Konflikter uppkommer oftast i vardagssysslor på grund av språkliga och kulturella missförstånd där intrapersonella och interpersonella konflikter är vanliga. För att motverka den rådande verksamhetsdissonansen, bör HVBhemmet implementera interna utbildningar inom ämnesområdet samt erbjudas stöd från andra instanser. Med tydliga ramverk och transparent samverkan kan man skapa en tryggare och effektivare hantering av flyktingbarnens integration. / The last 25 years, the number of migrants has doubled, which leads to creation of multicultural societies where cross-cultural communication will become an important aspect in prevention of conflicts. This study investigates how HVB-homes handle conflicts when cross-cultural communication fails between supervisors and unaccompanied refugee children. Further aims are to investigate which conflict management and conflict factors exist within HVB-homes. The study is based on a qualitative research method with ten semi-structured interviews analyzed through thematic analysis. The results show that HVB-homes don’t have any established conflict management strategies used by supervisors in conflict situations. The strategies were alternative methods developed over time in interaction with the unaccompanied refugee children. Conflicts usually occur in everyday chores because of linguistic and cultural misunderstandings where intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts are common. As a remedy for the present organizational dissonance the HVB-homes are recommended to implement internal courses in conflict management and provide support from other agencies. Clear frameworks and transparent collaboration would create security and increased efficiency in the management of integration of the unaccompanied refugee children.

This study involves ten unaccompanied refugees´ experiences of integration in to the swedish society. The main purpose of this study is to understand how the integration process has been for these ten unaccompanied refugees using qualitative methods. The unaccompanied refugees who are involved in this study have fled from Syria and Afghanistan and are eighteen to twenty-two years old. We analyse the respondents’ experiences and thoughts concerning their integration in Sweden. The theoretical framework and interpretation of integration that is used in this study is Alberto Diaz theory about seven different dimensions that measures what is required for a successful integration. In addition, this study applies social capital as a way of understanding why these refugees are in a certain stage and the opportunities and constraints that may exist of mobilizing resources. This study shows the importance of learning the Swedish language, individual motivation and for how long they have been in the country as some of the main results.

The succeeding pages contain scores of my music—Passage to Kublb, Dalamhati ni Osang, Pintig, and Talibun-ag. "Passage to kublb" , for large orchestra, is a travelogue. Using a certain number of intervals, the instruments go through a journey, signifying life's constant changes and ceaseless motion. Melodic and rhythmic motives are used, fragmentation, and variation of timbral colors. "Kublb" is a fictional place; in essence, a destination of one's life journey. "Dalamhati ni Osang" (Lament of Osang) for a soprano, bass clarinet and marimba, is a composition revolving around a hextatonic scale which goes through a process of change as the music progresses. The text, written in the Filipino language, conveys the lament of a woman wanting to escape from her sorrows as she pleads her beloved to "lull" her; thus the repeated phrase "iduyan mo, o hirang" which means lull me or cradle me, my beloved. The woman's concept of "sleep" is an end-goal from which she frees herself of bitter memories of the past. The nuances of the vocal lines point to some native materials common to the Filipino "kundiman"(ballad). Use of expressive lines in legato phrasing, repeated sections (ABA form), and in some instances, use of embellishments like the repeated grace notes. The hextatonic scale is the composer's own material injected to some pre-formed structure already existing as in the mentioned ballad. "Pintig" (Pulses of Mother Earth) which was originally written for the "Elektra Women's Choir" during a pre-Christmas choral reading is a study of tribal vocables and different vocal effects. Stomping of foot, tapping, and other ritual sounds are employed to concoct an amalgam of primitive or earthy vista. (Note that the recording provided with this thesis is simply a reading session of the piece). "Talibun-ag " is a coined title from the Filipino words "tali" and "bun-ag" (bondage and birth) which if combined literally can mean "birth of freedom". This is a music drama for a chamber ensemble (piano, alto flute and percussions), a mono-dramatist and a choral quartet. / Arts, Faculty of / Music, School of / Graduate

Family reunification for unaccompanied refugee minors is one of the most debatable issues when it comes to deciding whether it should be viewed as a right or it can be justifiable for states to completely prevent it and rather provide it only as a privilege. The discussion in the legal sphere proved that the issue is still problematic in both international and European laws. In this thesis, I have analyzed this issue through assessing the three claims that were provided by the United Kingdom for its negative position on the case. Through the lens of the child’s best interests’ principle, the non-discrimination principle, and the global distributive justice theory, I argued for considering family reunification as a right rather than a privilege. Children should always be treated as children. It cannot be justifiable for states to completely prevent them from being reunited with their families for being refugees.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur boendepersonal på Hvb-hem (hem för vård och boende) arbetar för att integrera ensamkommande barn i samhället. För att få information till studien har vi intervjuat sju personer som arbetar på olika Hvb-hem. Vi har ställt frågor kring integrationsprocessen, hur de arbetar, vad de ser som hinder och möjligheter och vilka effekterna är av den långa asylprocessen. Informanterna definierar integration ganska liknande, de belyser framförallt vikten av integration på samhällsnivå. Vårt resultat visade att barnens mående blir negativt påverkat av den långa asylprocessen. Deras dåliga mående påverkar deras motivation till att integreras, de går inte till exempel inte till skolan, vilket alla informanter anser är en viktig faktor i deras integrationsprocess. Det är inte enbart barnen som påverkas, även boendepersonalen och deras arbete. De kan inte arbeta med integrationsprocessen då de måste ta hänsyn till barnens mående, deras fokus i arbetet ändras. Nu handlar arbetet istället om att ta hand om och motivera barnen. / The aim of this study is to examine how the staff accommodation at Hvb-homes (home for care and accommodation) work to integrate unaccompanied children in the society. To get the information to the study we have interviewed seven people that work at different Hvb-homes. We asked them questions concerning the integration process, how they work with it, what they see as difficulties and possibilities and the effects of the long asylum process. The informers defined integration quite similar, they illuminated the importance of integration at societal level. We found that the children's well-being is negatively affected by the long asylum process. Their bad well-being affect their motivation to integrate, they do not go to school for example, which all informers consider an important factor in their integration process. It is not only the children that are affected, also the staff accommodation and their work is. They can no longer work with the integration process, they have to respect the children's well-being, and their focus in their work have to change. Now it is all about taking care and motivate the children.

Individer som kommit till Sverige som ensamkommande barn möter olika svårigheter. I tidigare forskningsansatser har fokus lagts på ensamkommandes tidigare erfarenhet av våld och krig samt betydelsen av socialt stöd. Studiens syfte är att få ökad förståelse om stress och stresshantering bland ensamkommande samt ta reda på betydelsen av sociala relationer gällande stresshantering. Denna kvalitativa studie är byggd på tio semistrukturerade intervjuer med tio unga vuxna mäns subjektiva berättelser. De har sitt ursprung i Afghanistan och har kommit till Sverige som ensamkommande barn. Intervjumaterialet analyserades utifrån Bronfenbrenners utvecklingsteori och Lazarus stressteori med hjälp av tematisk analys. Resultatet visar att ensamkommande upplever stress på grund av a) krav från familjen, b) familjens situation i hemlandet, c) språklig interaktion med infödda svenskar, d) kunna hitta ett arbete och e) att inte känna igen den fysiska miljön. Gällande stresshantering visar resultatet att individens sociala nätverk, hjälp från de professionella kontakter och den egna personligheten var betydelsefull. Att kunna arbeta och utbilda sig var viktiga stresshanterings strategier för deltagarna. Vänner från hemlandet och interaktion på det egna modersmålet var källor till trygghet för deltagarna. / Individuals who have come to Sweden as unaccompanied refugee minors meet different difficulties. In previous research, the main focal points have been the unaccompanied minors' previous experiences of violence and war, and the importance of social support. The aims of this study were firstly to gain a greater understanding regarding stress and stress management among unaccompanied refugee minors, and secondly, to look at the importance of social relationships regarding stress management. This qualitative study is based upon ten semi-structured interviews. Ten young adults gave their subjective narrative. The interviewees had their roots in Afghanistan. They all came to Sweden as unaccompanied refugee minors. The interview was analyzed based on Bronfenbrenner´s Ecological systems theory and Lazarus stress theory, using thematic analysis. The results drawn were that unaccompanied refugee minors experience stress because of a) expressed and perceived demands from the family, b) for the family's situation in the home country, c) the oral interaction with ethnical Swedes, d) be able to find work, and e) not recognizing the physical environment. The result regarding stress management shows that social relations, help from professional contacts, and their own personality were of importance for the study participants. Furthermore, the results show that being able to work and to educate themselves were important stress management strategies. Friends from the homeland and the mother tongue were sources of comfort for the participants.

Covid-19 pandemic has affected lives in negative ways globally and these impacts on unaccompanied minors who are already disadvantaged and marginalized, are positioningthem at high risk in the society. This study aimed to examine the professionals and practitioners’ perception on the impact of Covid-19 pandemic and related challenges on unaccompanied minors in Sweden. A qualitative inductive research approach wasfollowed, conducting semi-structured interviews with professionals/practitioners such as teachers, foster parent, legal guardian and social worker focusing on the individual meanings and importance of reporting the complexity of the situation. The empirical data was analyzed using caringscapes/carescapes framework and intersectionality theory to understand how time, place and space affect different sets of identities of individuals experience of pandemic. The findings indicate the school space/place plays a very important role in overall wellbeing of unaccompanied minors. Furthermore, the challenges faced under the new law on upper secondary level studies and the negativeimpacts during pandemic

I gränslandet mellan barn- och vuxenliv ställs ungdomar inför många utmaningar. Under denna komplexa period finns bland annat en förväntan, att denne på ett vuxet och moget sätt, ska hantera och ta beslut om framtida utbildning och karriär. Samtidigt som det sker ett sökande efter identitet och tillhörighet. Om man dessutom tvingas fly, utan sina föräldrar, från ett land drabbat av krig blir dessa utmaningar än fler och ännu större. Socialstyrelsens (2021) statistik visar att 35 369 ensamkommande barn kom till Sverige under 2015. Endast 8% av dessa var flickor. Tidigare forskning åskådliggör ett mottagande, till största del baserat på pojkar och deras behov, vilket gör att flickorna kommer i skymundan och i många fall missgynnas i framtida karriärvägar. I denna kvalitativa studie har fokus varit att studera och analysera karriärvägar för fem ensamkommande flickor från Afghanistan. Ett land med stark könsegregation, där korrupta juridiska system missgynnar landets kvinnor skriver Brunnberg och Darvishpour (2016). Studien tar även del av flickornas upplevelser av mötet med studie- och yrkesvägledning. Resultaten visar att tidigare skolerfarenhet, föräldrars utbildning samt typ av uppehållstillstånd är betydande för flickornas framtida karriärvägsmöjligheter. Således finns det ett stort behov av att vidare undersöka ensamkommande barns väg in i det svenska skolsystemet. Framförallt finns det behov av fler studier som ser till de ensamkommande flickornas erfarenheter och behov. Den här kvalitativa uppsatsen har som ambition att bidra med ny kunskap inom detta område. / In the borderland between childhood and adulthood, young people face many challenges. During this complex period, there is an expectation that they, in an adult and mature way, will handle and make decisions about their future education and career. At the same time as there is a search for identity and belonging. If you are also forced to flee, without your parents, from a country affected by war, these challenges will be even more and even greater. The National Board of Health and Welfare's (2021) statistics show that 35,369 unaccompanied children came to Sweden in 2015. Only 8% of these children were girls. Previous research illustrates a reception, largely based on boys and their needs, which means that the girls are overshadowed and in many cases disadvantaged in future career paths. In this qualitative study, focus has been on studying and analyzing career paths for five unaccompanied girls from Afghanistan. A country with strong gender segregation, where corrupt legal systems disadvantage the country's women (Brunnberg och Darvishpour, 2016). The study also shows the girls experiences of the meeting with studying and career guidance. The results show that previous school experience, parents education and type of residence permit are significant for the girls future career path opportunities. Thus, there is a great need to further investigate the path of unaccompanied children into the Swedish school system. Above all, there is a need for more studies that look at the experiences and needs of unaccompanied girls. This qualitative thesis aims to contribute new knowledge in this area.

My aim was to explore the experiences of social workers working with unaccompanied refugee children when hearing traumatic narratives shared by the children. This is a qualitative research based on semi-structured interviews with three social workers with experience of working with these children in the social services in Sweden. The transcribed interviews have been interpreted with themes and the theoretical framework used is countertransference and vicarious trauma theory. The result shows that all the informants have been influenced by the traumatic narratives they have heard and their interaction with the client was affected by their personal experiences. The result also shows that a trustful relationship between the client and the social worker is fundamental for good communication, but also that more education and knowledge combined with support from the workplace and opportunities to exchange knowledge contribute to developing good and respectful interactions with clients.