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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Somali'
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1
Farah, Mohamed I. "From ethnic response to clan identity : a study of state penetration among the Somali nomadic pastoral society of Northeastern Kenya /." Stockholm : Almqvist och Wiksell, 1993. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb35577873g.
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Bair, Robert S. "Disrupting Somali piracy via trust and influence operations." Thesis, Monterey, Calif. : Naval Postgraduate School, 2009. http://edocs.nps.edu/npspubs/scholarly/theses/2009/Jun/09Jun%5FBair.pdf.
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Thesis (M.S. in Information Systems and Operations)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2009.<br>Thesis Advisor(s): Denning, Dorothy. "June 2009." Description based on title screen as viewed on July 13, 2009. Author(s) subject terms: Trust, influence, influence operations, piracy, Somalia, Somali Piracy, disruption, deception. Includes bibliographical references (p. 59-61). Also available in print.
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Jean, Jacques Daniel A. "Somali piracy and the introduction of Somalia to the western world." Master's thesis, University of Central Florida, 2011. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/4941.
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This thesis investigates the origins of the modern phenomenon of Somali piracy within a deeper historical context. More specifically, this analysis concentrates on the development of piracy in the north of the country. It is here contended that Somali piracy is, in fact, the product of the confluence of three historical currents. The first of these currents is the progressive degeneration of traditional Somali institutions due to exposure to the colonial and global markets. The second is the increasing reliance of northern Somalis on maritime resources due to over exploitation of the land and the fishing initiatives of the Barre regime. The final current is the intrusion of foreign fishing vessels into Somali territorial waters, beginning in the early 1990s, for the purposes of illegal fishing and the dumping of toxic waste.<br>ID: 029809992; System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader.; Mode of access: World Wide Web.; Thesis (M.A.)--University of Central Florida, 2011.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 98-109).<br>M.A.<br>Masters<br>History<br>Arts and Humanities
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Gelle, A. (Abdisatar). "Unlocking Somali potentials trough education: bridging Somalis for sustainable integration in Finland." Master's thesis, University of Oulu, 2015. http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-201505071456.
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The purpose of this thesis is to explore the integration process of Somalis in Finland and the challenges and opportunities that they face in their daily lives. Another objective of this study was to find out about the role of educated and integrated Somalis concerning sustainable integration in Finland. The thesis also discusses the theories of migration, integration and social capital in relation with the migration and settlement of Somalis in Finland.
The empirical data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews. The target group was seven educated and integrated Somalis that are living in Helsinki and its surrounding areas. They were asked two main research questions: What are the perceptions of educated and integrated Somalis concerning sustainable integration in Finland? And what could be their role in the integration process? The chosen analysis method was qualitative content analysis.
The research findings revealed that the integration of Somalis in Finland started with hardship and difficulty; and up to this day there have been major obstacles that are preventing the community to integrate. Also the study revealed that there are many issues that might help the community to integrate in Finland, such as Finnish language and educational skills, open debate and reconciliation between the community and native Finns, collective effort from the community for integration and cooperation between Finnish authorities and Somalis in Finland. Furthermore, it was concluded that the role of educated and integrated Somalis is to reform, teach, lead and be role models for their community towards sustainable integration in Finland. Finally, the thesis highlighted the alarming situation of Somali community in Finland and pointed out how the community desperately needs urgent solutions from educated and integrated Somalis and authorities in Finland.
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Düstersiek, Milena. "Somalia the Orient? : A Discourse Analysis of European Construction of Somali Identity." Thesis, Malmö universitet, Malmö högskola, Institutionen för globala politiska studier (GPS), 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-18516.
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This thesis focus on European construction of Somali identity. Using a discourse analysis in combination with Edward Said’s concept of Orientalism, this study examines the three main European Council Documents that set the foundation for the EU’s military and political intervention in the Horn of Africa in general, and Somalia specifically. The analysis investigates how Somalia is being imagined within these documents and how this European identity construction can be understood as an Orientalist discourse. The outcome of the analysis show that the construction of Somalia within this limited scope, the European discourse can indeed be read as an Orientalist discourse. In the analyzed documents Somalia is generally constructed as a dangerous, possibly threatening physical entity, which is juxtaposed to the EU which is identified as a realm of peace and compliance to universal norms and values. Hence, this discourse is implying a certain hierarchy in which Europe has a more privileged position than Somalia. Furthermore, the analysis concludes that the European response can be also read as based on a liberal peace discourse which carries the risk to perpetuate Orientalist stereotyping and the construction of Orientalist identities.
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Salah, Ebyan. "Khat, a Somali perspective." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp01/MQ36872.pdf.
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Salah, Ebyan 1963 Carleton University Dissertation Sociology and Anthropology. "Khat, a Somali perspective." Ottawa.:, 1999.
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Chonka, Peter James. "Imagining the Somali lands : nationalism in a transnational public sphere, and the political reconfiguration of Somalia." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/25914.
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This thesis examines the 'public sphere' of state reconstruction and political conflict across the Somali territories through comparative discursive and contextual analysis of media production and consumption on the ground in Somalia. Using Somali-language media sources - including political cartoons, editorials, radio broadcasts and audio-visual propaganda - the chapters cumulatively present a dual conceptualisation of the public sphere in the Somali context. Here, local media production centred in individual capitals of various political projects (The Somali Federal Government, Somaliland and Puntland) coexists and overlaps with a transnational arena of Somali-language broadcasting and debate from various externally-based media producers. These range from the British Broadcasting Corporation‟s Somali Service and popular diaspora-based satellite television stations, to sophisticated 'jihadi' propagandists, or individual geographically-detached cartoonists. Internationalised dynamics of economic and political change across the territories render distinctions between 'diasporic' and 'local' media production analytically unhelpful. At the same, ongoing popular rhetorical contestation over 'foreign' influence ensures an ostensibly paradoxical (and politically salient) discursive resilience of a culturally and religiously-defined 'Somali Ummah' across and beyond political boundaries. Although significant academic attention has been directed towards the role of decentralized 'new' or 'social' media and possibilities for civic agency vis-á-vis coherent, authoritarian state structures, the thesis argues that the Somali case highlights the significance of such public sphere technologies in altering discursive, political and security conditions for state (re)construction in socially fragmented and conflict scarred environments.
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Hersi, Mohamed Farah. "The possibilites of international prosecution against the former Somali militry regime for human rights abuses in Somaliland from 1981 - 1991: establishing individual criminal and civil responsibility under international law." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/8055.
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Since the aftermath of the brutal civil war in Somaliland, no one has systematically considered the human rights atrocities committed by one of the most brutal regimes in sub-Saharan Africa.
Therefore, it is the objective of this study, firstly, to throw light on the international rules which govern those crimes committed in Somaliland during the military regime. Secondly, the study will apply those rules to the case of Somaliland, based on the available evidence. Thirdly,
the study will establish a case for the international prosecution of those who bear the greatest responsibilities for the human rights atrocities that occurred in Somaliland. Fourthly, this study will investigate which international mechanism provides the best chance of serving as an adequate prosecutorial mechanism. Finally, the study will analyse the role of individual criminal responsibility under international criminal law<br>Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2008.<br>A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Law University of Pretoria, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Law (LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa). Prepared under the supervision of Prof. Frans Viljoen of the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria<br>http://www.chr.up.ac.za/<br>Centre for Human Rights<br>LLM
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Osman, Idil A. "Re-creating conflict : an examination of Somali diasporic media involvement in the Somali conflict." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2015. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/86912/.
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Somalia has for more than two decades been in a perpetual state of conflict and more than a million Somalis have fled the initial civil war. Approximately 400,000 of them reside here in the UK. They have formed a large diasporic community and have set up their own websites and TV stations to remain engaged with the happenings of their homeland. Diasporic media is often hailed as a medium that allows immigrants to maintain their identity in their host country as well as providing a platform to sustain ties with their homeland. However, if these ties are being maintained with a homeland that is in a state of conflict, the potential to transport the dynamics of the conflict and re-create it amongst the diaspora audiences is very much a possibility. This thesis illustrates how diasporic media can re-create conflict through a theoretically developed and empirically informed argument that provides three analytically distinct approaches referred to as the three politics of non-recognition, solidarity and mobilisation. This thesis in essence, argues that diasporic media is more complex than what current scholars have demonstrated and that there is a need to broaden the scope of current academic debates concerning the interplay between diasporic media, transnationalism and conflict.
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Diriye, Abdullahi Mohamed. "Le Somali, dialectes et histoire." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2001. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp05/NQ65367.pdf.
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Gabriel, Naveen. "Automatic Speech Recognition in Somali." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Statistik och maskininlärning, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-166216.
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The field of speech recognition during the last decade has left the research stage and found its way into the public market, and today, speech recognition software is ubiquitous around us. An automatic speech recognizer understands human speech and represents it as text. Most of the current speech recognition software employs variants of deep neural networks. Before the deep learning era, the hybrid of hidden Markov model and Gaussian mixture model (HMM-GMM) was a popular statistical model to solve speech recognition. In this thesis, automatic speech recognition using HMM-GMM was trained on Somali data which consisted of voice recording and its transcription. HMM-GMM is a hybrid system in which the framework is composed of an acoustic model and a language model. The acoustic model represents the time-variant aspect of the speech signal, and the language model determines how probable is the observed sequence of words. This thesis begins with background about speech recognition. Literature survey covers some of the work that has been done in this field. This thesis evaluates how different language models and discounting methods affect the performance of speech recognition systems. Also, log scores were calculated for the top 5 predicted sentences and confidence measures of pre-dicted sentences. The model was trained on 4.5 hrs of voiced data and its corresponding transcription. It was evaluated on 3 mins of testing data. The performance of the trained model on the test set was good, given that the data was devoid of any background noise and lack of variability. The performance of the model is measured using word error rate(WER) and sentence error rate (SER). The performance of the implemented model is also compared with the results of other research work. This thesis also discusses why log and confidence score of the sentence might not be a good way to measure the performance of the resulting model. It also discusses the shortcoming of the HMM-GMM model, how the existing model can be improved, and different alternatives to solve the problem.
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Bashir-Ali, Khadar. "The invisible minority the academic, linguistic, social, and cultural integration of refugee students in the public schools in Italy and the U.S.: a comparative study /." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2003. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1086249790.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2003.<br>Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xiv, 356 p.; also includes graphics. Includes abstract and vita. Advisor: Charles R. Hancock, College of Education. Includes bibliographical references (p. 238-295).
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Mohamed, Ismail Abdirachid. "Dialectologie du somali : problématique et perspectives." Paris, INALCO, 2011. http://www.theses.fr/2011INAL0005.
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Après avoir fait le point sur l'état de la recherche en dialectologie du somali, il s'agit pour nous d'en explorer les interrogations et en dégager les perspectives. Aussi, cette thèse vise-t-elle à mettre au clair les raisons théoriques et méthodologiques qui sont à la source des divergences constatées dans les différentes classifications des dialectes somalis, tout en en prolongeant l'étude dialectologique du somali dans une perspective historique. Cette dernière partie de la thèse prend appui sur une analyse du système possessif, sur l'expression de la focalisation et de la topicalisation et sur le marquage casuel des dialectes somalis. Cette étude morphologique et syntaxique montre que la comparaison dialectale fondée sur une approche systémique et globale, faisant appel, à la fois, à l'analyse synchronique, diachronique et dialectologique, permet de mieux rendre compte des rapports historiques entre les différents dialectes étudiés<br>Having made the point on the state of the research in Somali dialectology, we suggest investigating the questions raised by this study and the perspectives it offers. So, this thesis aims to enlighten the theoretical and methological reasons which are at the source of the differences noticed in the various Somali dialects classifications, and to prolong the Somali dialectology study in a historical perspective. This last part of the thesis takes support on an analysis of the possessive system, the expression of focus and topicalisation and the case marking of the Somali dialects. This morphological and syntactic study shows that the dialectal comparison based on a systematic and global approach, appealing, at the same time, to the synchronic, diachronic analysis and dialectological analysis, allows to report better the historical relation between the dialects in question
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Hargreaves, Katharine Margaret. "A computational implementation of Somali morphosyntax." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2006. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.511254.
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Mohamud, Bahja Ali. "Examining the challenges of raising a family as a refugee parent in South Africa: A case study of Somali refugees in Cape Town." University of Western Cape, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/7409.
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Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS)<br>This research foregrounds the experiences of raising a family as a refugee parent in Cape Town, using a case study of Somali refugee parents. Global reports have shown that international migrants make up 3.5% of the world’s population, an estimated 272 million people. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 88.9% of international migrants have been displaced and reside within the Sub-Saharan African countries. Somali migrants arrived in South Africa due to a civil war that ravaged Somalia for over 20 years. Several studies investigated the migrants’ experiences in the host country
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Hubbertz, Andrew Paul. "Subject clitics and subject extraction in Somali." Thesis, McGill University, 1991. http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/32079883.html.
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Ibrahim, Yusuf Hassan, and Jibril Mohamed Abdullahi. "Adverse effects of khat on somali families." Thesis, Högskolan i Gävle, Avdelningen för socialt arbete och psykologi, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-11912.
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Ali, Abdifatah. "The integration of Somali immigrants in Sweden." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för samhällsstudier (SS), 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-56520.
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Fumi, Christine. "Erythrozytäre Pyruvatkinase-Defizienz bei Somali- und Abessinierkatzen /." Berlin : Mbv, Mensch-und-Buch-Verl, 2009. http://d-nb.info/99587963X/04.
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Omar, Mohamed Ali. "Somali Irredentism: An analysis of its causes and its impact on political stability in Somalia from 1960 -1991." Thesis, Högskolan Dalarna, Institutionen för kultur och samhälle, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:du-37786.
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After Berlin Conference in 1884 to 1885, Somalia was partitioned into five parts by Britain, Italy, and French. In 1960 two parts gained independence and formed the Somali Republic, and since then successive Somali governments sought to incorporate the other three parts of Somali territories under Ethiopia, Kenya and French Somaliland known as Djibouti into Greater Somalia.The aim of this study has been to explore and analyze the causes, and the impact of the Somalia’ irredentism on political stability in Somalia. In more specifically, the main objective has been to critically examine how Somali irridentism policy has been pursued, what challenges faced and how it has affected the political stability of the post-colonial Somali state from 1960 to 1990.The analysis presented in this study has shown that the causes of Somali irredentism are combined factors that helped rise Somali irredentism. The analysis has argued that Somalia’s quest for irredentism policy had a huge impact on Somalia’s political stability, including, but not limited to, creating enemies and alienating allies from neighbouring countries to western and eastern blocs, as well as interstate conflict with Ethiopia which ended with Somalia defeat. Finally, Somalia’s defeat, which resulted from irredentism’s venture, caused disunity among the national army, refugee crisis, financial burden and the rise of armed opposition movements that finally ousted the military regime led by Siad Barre. This was followed by state collapse and protracted civil war.
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Shermarke, Marian A. A. "Understanding the Canadian community context of female circumcision." Thesis, McGill University, 1996. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=23981.
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This qualitative research study explores female circumcision within the Canadian community perspective.<br>Issues examined in the literature review include: the historical background of the practice, its cultural and religious implications, its effects on health, existing social pressures to continue or discontinue the practice and the subjective constructions of majority and minority identities, perspectives and interactions in Canada's multicultural society.<br>For the purposes of this study majority/minority relations are explored in terms of the interactions between an immigrant community from a FC practicing country and the mainstream community in Canada. The Somali community has been chosen for this case study as the one best known to the author and as one in whose country of origin available statistics indicate a 98% prevalence rate of FC. Canadian mainstream reactions to this practice are analyzed through media reporting and statements from Somalis in Canada describing their interactions with the mainstream community on this issue.<br>Members of the Somali community in Montreal, Quebec and Ottawa, Ontario were interviewed in order to cover as wide an area as possible, including difference in provinces. The following six themes were chosen after data analysis: the Effects of FC on Health, the Cultural Orientation of FC, Religious Beliefs Regarding FC, Social Pressures, A Sense of Differentness and Efforts to Discourage the Practice of FC. These themes are discussed with special attention being paid to 'differentness' and the mechanisms or coping skills developed to deal with this complex social phenomenon which involves opposing values, beliefs and perceptions.<br>In its final section, the study examines the social work implications of the findings which address intercultural fears, anxieties and the dynamics of power involved in the way the FC issue has been addressed in Canada.<br>Practice, program and policy recommendations with regard to discouraging FC practice are made at the end of the thesis.<br>The study concludes with the observation that the debate around FC in Canada is much wider than the issue itself and that the practice has been sensationalized in a manner which has emphasized perceptions of differentness which exist in our society. No constructive dialogue will be possible around this issue until the issue of differentness is addressed, and mutual fears and anxieties evoked by the perception of differentness are dealt with in a sensitive manner, in both immigrant and mainstream communities.
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Ntalindwa, Raymond. "Nuruddin Farah and the issues of Somali nationalism." Thesis, SOAS, University of London, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.321738.
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Fouche, H. "Prosecuting the Somali pirates: The law enforcement approach." Southern African Journal of Criminology, 2010. http://encore.tut.ac.za/iii/cpro/DigitalItemViewPage.external?sp=1001171.
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Media reports that Somali pirates are holding seafarers to ransom in the Gulf of Aden, the Red
Sea and the Western Indian Ocean are, unfortunately, not an infrequent occurrence. Robust
action by the naval fleets of various states and naval alliances operating in the area since 2008
has led to the capture of many pirates. More than half of the detained suspected pirates, however,
have been released without being prosecuted. Clearly the states prosecuting pirates captured at
sea in the region face considerable difficulties. This paper examines those difficulties and
suggests that following the law enforcement approach will produce the desired outcome, namely
successful prosecution. In reaching this conclusion, the law enforcement approach is analysed in
terms of arrest, investigation and prosecution.
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Ali, Emua. "Somali women in London : education and gender relations." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2001. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10018889/.
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This thesis explores the impact of education levels on the social changes experienced by Somali women migrants to Britain, in particular attitudes towards changes in gender relations. The original hypothesis was that the higher the level of education the greater the degree of empowerment, other research and policy having linked education to women's autonomy and emancipation. Somali women in general have low levels of education and most did not speak English upon arrival in Britain. A sample of 50 Somali women aged from 16 to over 50 with a variety of education levels ranging from no formal education to higher education levels was selected and studied using a variety of qualitative methods. These included participant observation within the community by attending social events; group interviews; and indepth interviews conducted in Somali and English using a semi-structured questionnaire. During the study the following areas were explored: gender equality, education, employment, marriage, divorce, health, housing, immigration, social security, religion, culture, and the family. Somalis are Muslims and their lifestyle is influenced by Islam especially in the areas of gender relations, marriage and divorce. The study found that contrary to the original hypothesis, Somali women with higher education levels had a mo re conservative approach to gender equality and women's empowerment than less educated women. All the women believed education could provide a route to skilled employment and empowerment. The educated women gave more credence to the Somali community's perceptions of their behaviour and followed religious precepts on gender relations rather than the pursuit of their own empowerment and autonomy. Women with less education felt able to file for divorce if their husbands were not living up to their part of the marriage contract. The key finding was that economic independencer ather than level of educationw as the main key to women's empowerment.
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Hassan, Mohammed. "Aspects de la phonologie et de la morphologie du somali." Nice, 1994. http://www.theses.fr/1994NICE2014.
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Cette thèse analyse quelques aspects de la phonologie et de la morphologie du somali. Le cadre général est celui de la phonologie autosegmentale. La segmentation de la chaine parlée se réfère à un patron rythmique ou la relation entre phonie et distribution est établie. Dans la représentation phonologique, l'élément est le premier constituant. Cette référence au rythme permet d'expliquer avec un minimum de stipulation un certain nombre de faits jusqu'alors énumérés, voire ignorés: processus d'assimilation, de syncope, de spirantisation et de palatalisation. Le modèle permet également de définir la nature des voyelles et de proposer une explication des oppositions et des processus harmoniques présents au sein du système vocalique du somali. Dans cette thèse, est également propose un modèle de dérivation des suffixes verbaux et nominaux en tenant compte de leur hiérarchie et de leur comptabilité. Il permet d'appréhender la complexité des phénomènes pluri-dérivationnels en somali. L'analyse portant sur l'accent tonal comme sur l'harmonie vocalique se réfère aux processus dérivationnels. Cela nous permet d'établir ce que constitue un domaine harmonique. Cette référence aux processus dérivationnels participe également à la définition et à l'assemblage des unités prosodiques<br>This thesis analyses some aspects of somali phonology and morphology. A particular model within the framework of autosegmental phonology is applied. It is mainly characterized bythe representation of rhythm in which the rhythmic pattern (patronrythmique) provides directly the relation between sounds and distributions. This analysis allows to predict and explain the segmental changes, with a minimum of stipulation, the phonological aspects such as assimilation, syncope, spirantisation and palatalisation. It also allows to define the the nature of the vowels and to provide an explanation to the vocalic system of somali language. A derivational and hierarchical model for verbal and nominal suffixes is also proposed in this thesis. It gives consideration to the compatibility of the suffixes and allows to study the complexity of pluruderiderivational phenomena in somali language. Analysis of tonal accent and vocalic harmony refers abundantly to the derivational processes of verbal and nominal suffixes. This allows to realize what constitutes a harmonic field. This reference to derivatinal processes takes part in the definition and combination of prosodical units
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Shaffer, Marian. "“This is South Africa, Not Somalia”: Negotiating Gender Relations in Johannesburg’s ‘Little Mogadishu’." The Ohio State University, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1354700811.
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Båld, Maria, and Maryama Mahammed. "Adjustment of Somali women in relation to societal systems in the Swedish society : A qualitative case study of five Somali women’s experiences." Thesis, Högskolan i Gävle, Socialt arbete, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-23665.
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The aims of this study are; (a) to explore how Somali women experience their adjustment in the Swedish society in connection to societal systems, and (b) to investigate these women’s perspective of how to make the adjustment process more effective in respect to their needs. The adjustment of the participants has been investigated through a social ecological theoretical framework. Thematic analysis has been utilised to present three themes; assistance, inclusion and self-sufficient which are discussed using social ecological theoretical perspective. Results showed that lack of assistance and sufficient information has led to these women feeling helpless and lost motivation to adjust. The women showed disappointment with regard to self-sufficiency which has not been what they have expected. The suggestions made by the interviewees included assistance in their native language during their first years in the new country, inclusive opening of meeting places and an increased assessment of personal resources when receiving help to find employment. Making adjustment more effective for newly arrived immigrants in new countries is fundamental to international social work.
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Ahmed, Mustafa, and Victoria Fröst. "Personal Experiences of Somali Women in Uddevalla : A comparative case study on Somali women’s understandings of their experiences in the integration process." Thesis, Högskolan Väst, Avd för juridik, ekonomi, statistik och politik, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hv:diva-12743.
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In connection to an existing research project, Micro-migration and Integration with relevance for Uddevalla, this study aims to analyse and compare the subjective understandings of Somali women’s experiences in the integration process in the Swedish society. Integration is a multifaceted and ongoing process in which the self-understandings of this notion is bound to change over time in relation to socio-economic and cultural contexts. In light of this, the thesis employs a comparative case study that is based on data collected through focus group discussions with newly arrived women and women who have stayed in Sweden for a longer time. The analytical framework utilizes acculturation theory to study what traces of integration, assimilation, separation and marginalization can be identified in the selfunderstandings and how they develop over time. Some of the conclusions from the study by the interviewees notify language being crucial. Both groups understand that Swedish constitutes a step in the overall process for establishment and the newly arrived women showed an awareness about it being the ultimate factor that can speed up their own integration process. The findings of the research include that there is a deviation of the understandings between the groups when it comes to housing and identity. The group of newly arrived women with the exception of one participant, indicated a clear separation in regard to both aspects above whereas the women who have lived in Sweden for 9-10 years showed clear traces of integration. Hence, in the beginning of the integration process a person might have a theoretical understanding that indicates separation but experience a discursive shift towards the lens of integration.
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Ighodaro, Macdonald. "Experience of Somali students in Metro-Toronto school system." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/MQ27354.pdf.
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Fumi, Christine [Verfasser]. "Erythrozytäre Pyruvatkinase-Defizienz bei Somali- und Abessinierkatzen / Christine Fumi." Berlin : Freie Universität Berlin, 2009. http://d-nb.info/1023697025/34.
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Brown, Dorian L. "Survivors: an analysis of relocated Somali women in Georgia." DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center, 2001. http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/874.
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The purpose of this study was twofold. The first priority was to determine how relocated Somali women in Georgia addressed their political, economic, social, and psychological needs. The second priority was to determine whether gender roles changed, and how those changes impacted the lives of relocated Somali women in Georgia. This research is necessary due to the lack of literature on relocated women, especially African women, and the obstacles they face once they resettle in a country of asylum, especially in their own words. This study is significant because it documents relocated women’s experiences in their own words.
Fifty surveys and ten interviews were administered to obtain oral histories of the women’s experiences from Somalia to the United States. The research conducted under a Third World feminist framework yielded the following results. Relocated Somali women in Georgia address their political, economic, social, and psychological needs by utilizing government and nongovernment agencies, their community, and network preservation. Findings from the work suggest that relocated Somali women should be traced to further examine their progress. The findings also provide an opportunity to assess and compare the progress of relocated Somali women in Georgia with relocated Somali women in Canada, Australia, or other states, such as Minnesota.
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Peters, Lamees. "Somali parents’ educational support of their primary school children." Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86307.
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Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Parental involvement is a term that is associated with parental participation in schools and parents’ support of their children’s education. It is subjective in nature and often difficult to evaluate. In the late 1990s, many Somali families immigrated to South Africa due to the on-going factional wars in their country to take up employment opportunities and start a new life as immigrants. Limited knowledge exists about such parents’ understandings of education and their role in the educational development of their children. In this study, the researcher explored the various forms of support that Somali immigrant parents provide to their school-going children.
This basic qualitative research study is situated in an interpretive paradigm. Through snowball sampling, five parents from a Somali community in the Helderberg area of the Western Cape were selected for the study. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews, a focus group interview and observations and was subjected to content analysis. The study found that there are various forms of support that Somali parents offer their primary school children. The support that these parents offer is mostly of physiological nature, such as to feed and to clothe them. The challenges that these Somali participants face are educational, cultural and linguistic. The study found that because the majority of the participants are uneducated, they face limitations in how they can support their children academically. Due to their lack of schooling experience together with their linguistic constraints, the parents’ participation tend to be limited to attending meetings and participating in social events.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ouerbetrokkenheid is ’n term wat algemeen in die skoolgemeenskap gebruik word en word gewoonlik vereenselwig met ouers se deelname aan skoolaktiwiteite asook hul ondersteuning ten opsigte van hul kinders se opvoeding. Ouerbetrokkenheid is subjektief van aard en dikwels moeilik om te evalueer. In die laat 1990’s, net na die beëindiging van apartheid, het baie Somaliese families, as gevolg van die voortdurende stamoorloë in hul land, na Suid-Afrika geëmigreer om nuwe werksgeleenthede te soek en sodoende ’n nuwe lewe as immigrante te begin. Beperkte kennis bestaan oor die uitdagings wat hierdie immigrantefamilies in die gesig staar asook hul rol in die opvoedkundige ontwikkeling van hul kinders. In hierdie studie het die navorser gepoog om die verskillende vorme van ondersteuning wat Somaliese ouers bied, te verken.
Hierdie basiese kwalitatiewe navorsingstudie is in ’n interpretatiewe paradigma geleë. Deur middel van ’n sneeubalsteekproef is vyf deelnemers van ’n Somaliese gemeenskap in die Helderberg-gebied in die Wes-Kaap as deelnemers aan die studie gekies. Die data is ingesamel deur semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, ’n fokusgroeponderhoud en waarnemings, en is toe inhoudelik ontleed. Die studie het bevind dat daar verskillende vorme van ondersteuning onder Somaliese ouers bestaan, wat hulle aan hul skoolgaande kinders bied. Die ondersteuning wat hierdie ouers aan hulle kinders bied, is van fisiologiese aard, byvoorbeeld om kos en klere, te voorsien. Die uitdagings wat hierdie Somaliese deelnemers in die gesig staar is opvoedkundig, kultureel en taalkundig. Die studie het bevind dat omdat die meeste van die ouers ongeletterd is, hulle nie hul kinders met hul skoolwerk kan help nie. As gevolg van hul gebrek aan skoolopleiding asook hul taalkundige beperkinge, is dié ouers se deelname geneig om beperk te wees ten opsigte van die bywoning van skoolvergaderings en deelname aan sosiale geleenthede by die skool.
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Rae, Sophie. "Somali male refugees : perceptions of depression and help-seeking." Thesis, University of East London, 2014. http://roar.uel.ac.uk/4181/.
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Background: In recent years, research has started to draw attention to the notion that Western biomedical concepts of mental illness such as depression may not be recognised, understood or treated in the same way across non-Western cultures. Research has begun to reveal the differences in how mental illness is conceptualised across non-Western cultures, highlighting the prominence of social and contextual factors in contrast to the Western biomedical view. This has implications not only on a global scale, but also for diverse populations living under the Western mental health system. The UK Somali community has been identified as a cultural group who rarely access psychological services, despite high rates of mental health diagnoses such as depression. In particular, Somali men are said to be at increased risk of suicide and frequently present in tertiary care, yet there is little research to explore how they understand concepts such as depression. Aims: The purpose of the current study was to explore how Somali male refugees in the UK understand and perceive the Western concept of depression, alongside their views on coping and professional help in the UK. Method: A constructivist grounded theory approach involved the use of twelve Somali male refugees in the community. They were interviewed with the aid of a vignette across three focus groups, with eight who participated in subsequent semi-structured interviews. Results: Findings suggest that 'depression' appeared to be a result of the difficulties associated with migration, portrayed as an overall 'sense of disconnection'. The ‘health’ of the community appeared to link to the 'health' of the individual; highlighting the collectivist appraisals of self-worth. Help-seeking from Western professionals was portrayed as rare, and were conceptualised as lacking awareness of the needs of the Somali community in relation to their difficulties. Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of taking into account social and contextual factors, supporting the argument for a bio-psychosocial approach when making decisions about depression as a diagnosis. These differences in the way depression is conceptualised has implications for Western models of therapy, while indicating a need for counselling psychology to consider a move towards community-based work when working with these populations.
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Gonnelli, Michele [Verfasser], and Jens [Akademischer Betreuer] Loenhoff. "Italophone Somali diaspora and social change in Somalia : education, communication, and institutions of social control / Michele Gonnelli ; Betreuer: Jens Loenhoff." Duisburg, 2020. http://d-nb.info/1204004188/34.
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Azir, Mohaud Mohamed. "The conceptualization and application of Qabīlah (Clan) in the Somali context: A linguistic, social and political analysis of Somali media and online resources." University of the Western Cape, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/5866.
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Magister Artium - MA (Foreign Languages)<br>This thesis examines the concept of qab?lah (tribe/clan) and its social and political influence on
Somali society. It firstly looks at the general meaning of qabīlah in Arab culture and its more
specific meaning in Somali culture. It further looks at the historical development of Somali
tribalism and the role it has played in undermining Somali national unity. Furthermore, the study
highlights the reasons why Somalis are dependent on the tribal system such as poverty,
ignorance, colonialism and foreign intervention etc. Lastly, the study discusses the effects of
tribalism on both Somali civil life and the Somali Diaspora. The media is one of the sources the
study will utilize.
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Robinson, Rachel Elizabeth. "Living knowledge : embodied health care research practice /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/11187.
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Mohamoud, Aweys O. "Growing up Somali in Britain : the experience of a group of young Somali men and women coming of age in London and their parents." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2011. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10020621/.
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This study tells the story of Britain's single largest group of refugee children - the children of Somali refugees - as they have experienced growing up amidst marginal working class communities and inner-city neighbourhoods. It focuses on the major themes in the lives of these children and their families and the challenges confronting them in terms of adjustment to a new society, family and school life, education, employment, identity, goals, and aspirations (see Rumbaut & Portes 2001:12). In addition to data gathered through qualitative interviewing in London in two different time periods over a decade apart, the study pulls together existing research that bears directly or indirectly on children's immigrant experiences and adaptational outcomes in both the US and the UK. On the whole, it is suggested that the environments created by a combination of immigrant's human and social capital and the context that receives them dominate the process of adaptation and its prospects for success. There is much evidence in this research to support the assertion that 'family resources, family strategies, and parental expectations' are significant factors in the success of immigrant young people. Where that was weak or nonexistent, some of the young people concerned could not escape from the external challenges that confronted them in schools and neighbourhoods. A few of them fell prey to a social context that promoted a set of undesirable outcomes such as dropping out of school, joining youth gangs, and using and selling drugs. As Alejandro Portes and Ruben Rumbaut (2001) found out elsewhere, a tentative explanation from this research is that there is a patterned sequence of adaptation conditioned by predictable social forces: refugee human and social capital, first, and opportunities and barriers in the host society, second. These sets of factors play themselves out over time conditioning the adaptation of first generation immigrants, and the academic performance and career horizons of their offspring (ibid.). The background of war, flight and exile also continue to influence the lives of these children and their families.
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Ruffin, Tiece M. "Limited English proficiency, immigrants, refugees, and disability : a Somali perspective /." View abstract, 2004. http://wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations/fullcit/3191717.
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Mengistu, Urge. "Performance of the Ethiopian Somali goat during different watering regimes /." Uppsala : Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2007. http://epsilon.slu.se/200753.pdf.
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Zarowsky, Christina. "Refugee lives and the politics of suffering in Somali Ethiopia." Thesis, McGill University, 2001. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=37915.
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This thesis examines the lifeworlds of Somali returnees in Ethiopia. Their experience of flight and return is distinctive, shaped by the history and culture of the Somali people and the political and economic conditions of this part of Africa. In emphasizing this distinctiveness, this thesis is an implicit critique of recent efforts by academics and aid agencies to homogenize the experience of refugees in this region and elsewhere. In Ethiopia, "development" and humanitarian aid, in interaction with political contests at many levels, provide the context for interpreting refugee experience and action. Globally, the most powerful of the reductionist accounts is based on the "trauma model" of refugee experience. In this model, "refugee experience" has come to be virtually synonymous with "psychosocial" and, in turn, "mental health" and "post-traumatic stress disorder" (PTSD). Somali refugees and returnees in Ethiopia, however, do not address violence, death, and war-related distress in a framework of psychological medicine, with its goal of reducing psychological, emotional and physiological symptoms of individual distress. Rather, such distress is predominantly assimilated into the framework of politics, with its goals of survival and restitution. Emotion, and talking about emotion, evoke complex individual and collective memories that situate individual and local community experience within, or in juxtaposition to, other realities: competing powers such as the Ethiopian and other states, dispossession, and the precariousness of survival in a harsh natural and political environment. Historical narratives, collective memory, anger, and the rhetorics of development and humanitarian aid play important roles in these communities' efforts to rebuild social networks and what they refer to as a "decent human life."
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Abdullahi, Haji-Abdi. "Engaging the Somali diaspora community with an issue of sustainability." Thesis, London South Bank University, 2012. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.578005.
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This study assumes that the sustainable development of Somali Diaspora Community relies on the sustainability leadership practised by the co-ordinators of the Somali Community Organisations (SCOs). The SCOs were initially established to help the new Somali migrants to settle in the UK. The SCOs offered advocacy, information and guidance services. The Somali Diaspora Community still uses the services offered by the SCOs. However, lack of experience of running SCOs and clan allegiances weakened the SCO co-ordinators’ capacity to run inclusive and progressive services. The Somali Diaspora Community population in the UK is estimated to be over 200,000 of which 50% live in London. They are served by over 130 SCOs across London with three to four divided and uncooperative SCOs in each borough council. This study suggests that if SCO co-ordinators are trained and equipped with sustainability leadership capacities, they will be in a better position to lead the process to sustainability. The main objective of this study is to check the preparedness of the SCO co-ordinators to participate in a tailor-made training programme that, as the Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL, 2007:10) suggested, provides them with “the skills, knowledge and qualities to lead and support sustainable development”. The main question of the study is “How are transformed transformative SCO co-ordinators possible?” ii To answer this question, the extended literature review covers the modern history of Somalia, the Diaspora concept, the formation of SCOs, Education for Sustainability and community development. This is combined with the reflection of the SCO co-ordinators on their geo-historical move from Somalia to the UK, the formation of the SCOs and their view of the future of the SCOs. The result of their reflection was analysed with the application of the four terms (1M, 2E, 3L and 4D) of dialectical critical realism and the three terms (5A, 6R and 7A) of the philosophy of meta-reality. The discussion of the findings led to the development of a retroductive model (based on the Transformational Model of Social Agency (TMSA)) which presented the need for the personal and social transformation of the SCO co-ordinators, the SCOs and the Somali Diaspora Community
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Griffiths, David J. "Somali and Kurdish refugees in London : diaspora, identity and power." Thesis, University of Warwick, 1999. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/36371/.
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This comparative study of Somali and Kurdish refugees in London aims to develop understanding of refugee adaptation and identity formation as these are experienced differentially by two recently arrived refugee groups with distinctive histories, identities and orientation to political activity in both the country of origin and the society of reception. The thesis is based upon ethnographic fieldwork with individuals from both groups and in this respect marks a distinctive contribution to the study of refugees in Britain. In addition to original fieldwork material the thesis is based upon a detailed historical reconstruction of the groups in their country of origin and within the settlement context in London. A range of secondary data is also drawn upon at different stages of the argument. The thesis is in four parts. Part one is a critical review of the literature on refugee adaptation and identity and argues for the importance of theories of ethnicity and cultural identity to the study of refugees in countries of settlement. The concept of diaspora is introduced as an heuristic device to elucidate the processes of flight, settlement and identity formation which are addressed in parts two to four of the thesis. Part two examines Somalia and Kurdistan as refugee generating areas. The international response to refugee crises in these two cases is set within a changed conception of security in the post-Cold war order. Part three documents the changing policy context and British government reception of the two groups in the late 1980s. The migration histories and settlement patterns of the groups in addition to differences in patterns of formal organisation are also examined. Part four is the kernel of the thesis and illustrates the role of imagined communities - the selfrepresentation of communal identities - in the adaptation of the groups and of individual refugees in London. Throughout this research the role and importance of group-specific factors to the adaptation process is emphasised. The distinctive histories, identities and aspirations of individual refugee groups and individuals is at the heart of the analysis. The quest for recognition, for economic and social parity in the country of settlement in addition to claims for cultural and national distinctiveness, raise important methodological and ethical issues which are addressed throughout the thesis.
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Johnson, Dasherline Cox. "Culturally-Sensitive Diagnostic Interviewing Protocol for Somali Immigrants and Refugees." Thesis, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3739831.
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<p> This dissertation investigates the mental health needs of the growing Somali population in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota by examining clinicians’ views of the challenges they experience conducting mental health assessments for Somali clients. The research describes the development of a multicultural competence model and recent attempts to improve multicultural competence in assessment and treatment strategies. Specific emphasis is placed on the foundation of current theories supporting diagnoses and treatment issues through a review of current literature on cultural aspects of Somali mental health conceptualization. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with eight mental health providers who have worked with Somalis, seeking information for how clinicians handle culturally-specific challenges during the assessment process. Results suggest best practice for assessing Somali clients ought to involve the use of trained full-time interpreters. It is also beneficial for clinicians to be aware of the differences in mental health and illness conceptualization between Somali and Western cultures. Findings show strong support for establishing a trusting triadic relationship with the clinician, client, and interpreter. Using slow-engagement practice, indirect open-ended questions, predicated on previous relationship, will improve rapport and obtain desired information. Results from this study have informed the development of a culturally sensitive diagnostic protocol, providing guidance on how to collect information in a manner that helps ease the Somali client into the assessment process. The culturally sensitive form, described in Appendix F, must be used in conjunction with the education of all parties. This research has implications for those seeking to conduct culturally sensitive assessment and treatment by reducing incongruent cultural practices and promoting culturally competent service for Somalis.</p>
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Buyer, Meritt. "Beyond the refugee label : identity and agency among Somali refugees." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7790.
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Includes abstract.|Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-103).<br>As the world refugee population continues to rise, so the debate over how to best assist those who have been displaced intensifies. Humanitarian practices often have a disempowering effect on individuals instead of helping them to become self-sufficient. This problem is compounded by the gap between the realities on the ground and the overarching policies of both governments and organizations. In South Africa, the plethora of social issues, the lack of long-term solutions for refugee resettlement and the unsuccessful implementation of national policies relating to refugees contribute to the xenophobia that has become prevalent across the country. When the xenophobic sentiment turns violent, the Somali community has been targeted in the most extreme ways. Using the oral history methodology, this study draws on 17 life story interviews with Somali refugees residing in the Cape Town area. The interviews focus on the refugees' experience with humanitarian organizations and the government policy of their host country. By exploring their memories of Somalia and their relationship to their homeland, as well as their experiences in exile, it becomes evident that the Somalis' personal histories impact on how they negotiate the different forms of assistance that are available, or the lack thereof. Those who have had little control over their own lies in the past continue to have greater difficulty reaching their financial and educational goals, integrating onto South African society, and accessing the rights granted to them by law. Those who historically had some amount of agency continue to do so, despite the disempowering effects of mass assistance programs. In order for governments and organizations to be successful in their mission to assist and resettle refugees, they must have a more complete understanding of the history and cultural norms of assistance of the communities with whom they are working, as well as the realities of the current circumstances. The oral history method, with its ability to account for personal subjectivity, narrative authority, and historical agency, allows for in-depth exploration into the impact of policies created by the external bodies of international aid organizations, national governments, and local organizations at the grassroots level.
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Dailey, Phokeng M. "Communication, Somali Culture and Decision-making about the HPV Vaccine." The Ohio State University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1366284195.
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Osman, M. Shariff. "Reading for Development: The Somali Rural Literacy Campaign of 1975." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1330305397.
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Kasper, Ann Marie. "A Linguistic Evaluation of the Somali Women's Self Sufficiency Project." PDXScholar, 2002. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/738.
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This thesis evaluated a program of the Lutheran Community Services of Oregon, an English as a Second Language training program for Somali refugee women. This study examined the English test results and questionnaires of 28 pairs of Somali women and North American volunteers involved in tutoring. The evaluation included communicating with the Somali women, North American tutors, and Lutheran Community Services staff. The researcher created a literacy test, piloted it, and created questionnaires with the assistance of the staff. Before the tutoring began, the researcher created a needs assessment for the Somali participants and visited each Somali woman's home with a Somali interpreter to administer the initial student questionnaire, B.E.S.T. Test, Written Form Test, and needs assessment. The researcher administrated the initial questionnaire to the tutors. Next, the researcher observed the literacy and cultural trainings for the tutors and observed three pairs of tutors and students during tutoring sessions at the students' homes. The researcher attended an informal party for tutors and staff during the middle of the program and administrated the mid-term questionnaire at the party and over the phone. The evaluator discussed the program with the staff every couple months. The final step was going to each Somali woman's home to conduct the final student questionnaire, B.E.S.T. Test, Written Form Test. The final tutor questionnaire was completed over the phone. The researcher and Lutheran Community Services staff presented the findings at the 2000 Oregon Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (ORTESOL) Conference. Some of the more significant findings about creating effective programs are that programs for pre-literate refugees should use quantitative and qualitative methods of evaluation and should offer a non-threatening atmosphere for pre-literate adult refugees. Arranging for students to study in their own homes with tutors has positive as well as negative points. The views and languages all of the stakeholders during an evaluation should be considered. It is recommended that programs make materials specifically for their participants, create and offer literacy training specifically made to help tutors teach the targeted populations, and include cultural training for the students and tutors.
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Ryan, Juanita Frances. "Going 'walli' and having 'jinni': Exploring Somali expressions of psychological distress and approaches to treatment." The University of Waikato, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10289/2617.
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Western researchers conducting studies with Somali refugee participants have identified Somali-specific idioms of psychological distress as well as high rates of Western psychological disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in this refugee group. Methodological limitations of these previous studies, however, have limited the validity of the conclusions drawn. These limitations include the use of Western psychometric instruments and diagnostic nosologies, limited information about the methodological procedures undertaken, the apparently unqualified use of terms such as mental illness, madness and craziness in interview schedules, minimal exploration of psychosomatic idioms of distress, and limited applicability of some of the research findings to Somali women.. The current research primarily aimed to address these methodological short-comings and build on the findings of previous studies that have explored Somali conceptions of distress. Two additional objectives were to (i) identify protective and resilience factors which may decrease vulnerability to experiencing psychological distress in Somali women, (ii) gauge non-Somali health professionals' understanding of (a) the nature of distress and suffering experienced by Somali women, and (b) effective treatment modalities to ameliorate this distress. The analytical style employed in all three studies of this thesis was thematic. In the first study, ten Hamilton (New Zealand) based Somali women were interviewed. Particular areas of interest explored in the first study included psychological, physical and spiritual conceptions of distress, the symptoms of key idioms of distress, and the way in which these are managed/treated at the individual, community, and family levels. The findings of Study 1 identified spirit (jinn) possession as a form of distress known by at least some members of the local Somali community. Jinn appeared to be an explanation for both milder forms of distress akin to depression and anxiety, as well as more severe forms of distress similar to psychosis. Treatment for jinn possession tended to focus on Koran readings in conjunction with family and community-based support. Generally participants considered there was a very limited role for mental health professionals and Western psychiatric medication in the extraction of jinn. Faith was considered a key protective factor against experiencing non-spiritual forms of distress such as stress, worry, anxiety and depression. Although war trauma was acknowledged to have an adverse impact on the psychological functioning of Somali women it was not considered to impact on a woman's ability to manage her day-to-day responsibilities. The impact of having family in refugee camps in Africa was, however, identified as a common and very distressing issue impacting on many Somali women. The only way of alleviating the distress associated with this stressor, according to participants, was reunification. Interviewees stated that Western interventions for distress were rarely pursued by Somali as they were not considered efficacious. Given there is evidence that Somali communities residing in various cities in New Zealand are at various stages of acculturation, it was considered important to ascertain how valid the results from Study 1 were considered to be by women from other Somali communities. Six focus groups were conducted with a total of 27 Somali women recruited from three New Zealand cities. The findings of Study 2 identified numerous culturally specific forms of distress reported by participants. These states were qalbijab, boofis, murug, welwel and jinn. These Somali idioms of distress were akin to some Western psychological disorders, particularly the depression and anxiety spectrums. Treatment for Somali forms of suffering were reported to focus on Koran readings, in addition to family and community support. Generally, participants in Study 2 considered there was a very limited role for general practitioners (GPs) and mental health professionals in assisting Somali to deal with psychological and spiritual distress. Consistent with the findings of Study 1, faith was considered the most important protective factor, family separation was described as one of the most significant stressors, and war related trauma was suggested to cause significant distress only if the sufferer had family still in Africa. Study 3 explored non-Somali health practitioners' understanding of Somali idioms of distress, as well as their perspectives about how to best treat Somali presenting with psychological distress. A total of 18 mainstream mental health practitioners, general health practitioners (both GPs and primary care nurses), and specialist refugee mental health practitioners took part in this research. Few practitioners mentioned spirit possession as an aetiology for distress and none mentioned other Somali-specific forms of distress. The psychosocial stressors identified as contributing to the psychological distress of Somali women were relatively consistent across the three groups of practitioners and also consistent with the stressors identified by participants in Studies 1 and 2 (e.g., family separation, social isolation, financial concerns). Interviewees did not consider PTSD to be a common psychological disorder amongst Somali women living in New Zealand. Advocacy work and assistance with day-to-day concerns were suggested by many participants as more efficacious for the amelioration of psychosocial stressors than medication-based treatment. Generally, participants in Study 3 were supportive of traditional forms of healing being used as the treatment of choice by Somali clients. The findings of the current thesis suggest that there are clear parallels between Somali idioms of distress and those of Western cultures. However, the data indicate that equating Somali idioms with Western diagnostic labels would be rejected by Somali. Regardless of the similarity of symptom profile of some of the Somali states to Western states, the manner in which these states are conceptualised, understood and treated is markedly different. The findings of all three studies suggested that Somali tend to opt for their own traditional interventions to treat psychological and spiritual forms of distress rather than engage with Western mental health services. Numerous barriers including long waiting lists, mental health practitioners' apparent lack of knowledge/expertise working cross-culturally and poor treatment outcomes were provided for Somali not engaging with such services. The stigma attached to having a mental illness was also considered a barrier to engaging with mental health services. With respect to improving service provision for non-Western clients, an intermediate service that sits between primary and secondary health care agencies is recommended as an effective means of meeting the needs of non-Western clients experiencing psychosocial stressors and mild to moderate psychological distress. It is imperative, however, that any such service involves key stakeholders from the community groups it would serve, in the design, development, and implementation of interventions.
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Horst, Cindy Margret Ann. "Transnational nomads how Somalis cope with refugee life in the Dadaab camps of Kenya /." [S.l. : Amsterdam : s.n.] ; Universiteit van Amsterdam [Host], 2003. http://dare.uva.nl/document/71296.
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