Having identified a gap in counselling psychology literature, this study aimed to investigate the lived experiences of Greek-Cypriot refugees of 1974 living in the UK as well as second generation Greek-Cypriot individuals who either have one or two refugee parents. The phenomenological lived experiences of the events of 1974 in Cyprus were explored in relation to Greek-Cypriot refugees with particular emphasis on their experiences of psychological support systems and what it meant to be a refugee living in the UK. The second part of the thesis explored the lived experiences of second generation Greek-Cypriots with one or both refugee parents. A consideration of the impact on identity and experience of upbringing in the UK was explored. Eight London based Greek-Cypriots were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Two study groups were generated consisting of three refugees and five second generation. Data were analysed using Jonathan A. Smith’s (2008) method of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The epistemological standpoint of a social constructivist approach was adopted. The findings from group A captured three superordinate themes: a) the other side of loss; b) memories are made of this and c) the internal self-soother with six subordinate themes generated. The findings from group B captured four superordinate themes: a) the present consequences of a past event; b) absorption vs. transmission; c) an identity grounded in the past and present and d) resilience with eight subordinate themes generated. The subordinate themes for both groups are discussed in relation to their specific superordinate theme. The phenomenological findings are discussed in relation to existing literature with implications and recommendations for counselling psychology. The limitations of the thesis are discussed along with recommendations for further research.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:646076 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Koumi-Elia, Maria |
| Contributors | Luca, Maria |
| Publisher | Regent's University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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