Suchergebnisse

This paper investigates the factors which influence the ability of resettled refugee parents to envisage their adolescents' futures and support them in setting and achieving goals. It is based on the findings of a study of 10 refugee families from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, two to three years after they had arrived in Melbourne, Australia. Analysis of the findings draws on Antonovsky's 'sense of coherence' framework to highlight the conditions which assist refugee parents to negotiate their social environment and develop realistic ambitions for their families' futures. This framework is also used to point to ways in which refugee families might best be assisted by host communities to guide and support their children and thus overcome some of the potential intergenerational conflicts which can occur following resettlement.

Conscious policy and program support for the resettlement of refugees in regional and rural areas is a relatively recent trend in Australia. Resettlement is a complex process that hinges on the establishment of viable communities. This review suggests that its outcomes, especially for refugee communities, are potentially mixed. However, an appropriately resourced, well managed and well planned refugee resettlement program can potentially provide beneficial outcomes for refugees and host communities. This article draws on existing empirical data and contributions made at a VicHealth Roundtable in late 2007 to thematically explore the challenges facing rural and regional resettlement programs. Given that settlement is a dynamic process and the approaches to rural and regional settlement are evolving, this article provides 12 propositions for a more effective and integrated approach to policy and practice.