| Abstract |
The notion of family is highly regarded within the Congolese culture. Unfortunately, on any given day, natives of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are desperately fleeing their own country in search of asylum, often having to leave behind the only family that they have ever known. Over 2,000 refugees from the DRC have resettled in Ohio since 2002. The majority of these refugees are women, many of which have experienced loss of possessions, bouts of trauma, and familial separation in pursuit of a safer life. The aim of this study was to gain knowledge of Congolese women’s cultural beliefs in relation to family which is often times a major source of stress. The qualitative data in this research was gathered via translator-assisted in-depth semi-structured interviews with refugee Congolese women (n=10). After undergoing thematic analysis, three overarching themes emerged: 1) child rearing, 2) living together peacefully, and 3) working and living as one. The findings from this study increased our understanding of the issues faced by Congolese women immigrating to the U.S., specifically to the Midwest region, and identified culture-specific tools to minimize stress and provide better support to Congolese women and their families upon resettlement.
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| Modified Abstract |
The notion of family is highly regarded within the Congolese culture. Unfortunately, natives of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are desperately fleeing their own country in search of asylum, often having to leave behind the family they value. Over 2,000 refugees from the DRC have resettled in Ohio since 2002. The majority are women; many have experienced loss of possessions, bouts of trauma, and familial separation in pursuit of a safer life. This study aimed to gain knowledge of cultural beliefs held by Congolese women in relation to family. Qualitative data was gathered via translator-assisted in-depth interviews with refugee Congolese women (n=10). Three overarching themes emerged: 1) child rearing, 2) living together peacefully, and 3) working and living as one. These findings identified culture-specific tools to minimize stress and provide better support to Congolese women and their families as they face issues resettling in the U.S.
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