Chapter one examines literature on the prevalence and effects of gender-based violence during war on women and men. Research indicates that physical, psychological and socio-cultural consequences of gender-based and sexual violence are fundamentally linked and have a differential impact on men and women's identities. Despite research demonstrating psychological symptoms of post traumatic stress as a result of these experiences, it is argued that applying a western medical model to survivors from non-western countries may not be the most comprehensive way of understanding their experiences. A model that accounts for the cultural context, gendered differences and identity impact is proposed. Very few studies reviewed addressed resilience and coping in survivors of gender based violence indicating a gap in the psychological literature. Chapter two explores African women's experiences of violence during conflict and seeks to identify its impact on mental health. It also provides an understanding of the roles of resilience, coping and identity in African refugee women. Results identified a complex relationship between resilience, access to rights and support and identity in African refugees living in the United Kingdom. It also recognised cultural and societal influences in Africa and experiences in the UK as influential factors. Results from the study support the move toward an holistic model of understanding refugee women's experiences. The study also reveals the importance of support services assisting women to utilise a resilience framework to assist rebuilding their identities in order to maintain resilience. Chapter three provides personal reflections on the research journey and process. Methodological and ethical issues related to conducting research with refugees are discussed. The paper also draws on emerging themes from a reflective journal, which highlights the challenges and positive experiences of the researcher whilst volunteering for a local refugee centre. It also makes suggestions about further considerations of these issues by Clinical Psychologists within research supervision processes.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:521420 |
| Date | January 2009 |
| Creators | Sherwood, Katie |
| Publisher | University of Warwick |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/3259/ |
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