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Re-imagining the resettlement of refugees by engaging with an ethic of thriving
Citation
Vincent, K and Baltra-Ulloa, AJ and Williams, G, Re-imagining the resettlement of refugees by engaging with an ethic of thriving, British Journal of Social Work, 51, (1) pp. 21-37. ISSN 0045-3102 (2020) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
Copyright 2020 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved.
Abstract
Learning to thrive in the context of refugee resettlement can be a difficult task to
consider and sustain when so much focus is given to promoting survival, recovery
from trauma and self-sufficiency. It is argued that this resettlement paradigm is
rooted in notions of refugee passivity, primarily motivated by a minimalistic approach
to social assimilation. We argue this resettlement paradigm suffocates thriving by imposing the government’s aim of achieving independence instead of privileging the
newly arrived person, their lived experiences, dreams and aspirations. This article
shares how an ethic of thriving in resettlement, with its focus on relationality, could
transform the way we think about ‘integration’ and what ‘successful resettlement’
means within the Australian context. To anchor what the ethic of thriving offers the
resettlement sector we share lessons learned from applying a thriving paradigm to
YoungMILE—a mentorship project dedicated to launching young refugee arrived
leaders in the community. This unique programme embraced relational, experimental
and exploratory approaches characterised by flexibility, mutual learning, curiosity, listening to bigger goals and acknowledging the skill sets of people’s past experiences.
Importantly, the project also prioritised connecting people of refugee background
and the host community to promote meaningful integration.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | mentoring, refugee resettlement, relationality, resettlement practice |
| Research Division: | Human Society |
| Research Group: | Social work |
| Research Field: | Social work not elsewhere classified |
| Objective Division: | Expanding Knowledge |
| Objective Group: | Expanding knowledge |
| Objective Field: | Expanding knowledge in human society |
| UTAS Author: | Vincent, K (Dr Kate Vincent) |
| UTAS Author: | Baltra-Ulloa, AJ (Dr Joselynn Baltra-Ulloa) |
| UTAS Author: | Williams, G (Miss Grace Williams) |
| ID Code: | 141983 |
| Year Published: | 2020 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 1 |
| Deposited By: | Social Work |
| Deposited On: | 2020-12-07 |
| Last Modified: | 2021-03-19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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