A Narrative Inquiry into the Experiences of Syrian Refugee Families with Children Living with Disabilities

• Author / Creator

  Beka, Vanesa

• Children with disabilities are among the most at-risk groups for marginalization due to compounded disadvantages from the intersection of risk factors such as refugee status and
  disability status. Despite this high risk, there is no systematic data collected on this group and scant literature on the topic contributing to a feeling of invisibility. We conducted a narrative inquiry on the experiences of two Syrian refugee families with children living with disabilities. Narrative inquiry is a way to understand experience as a storied phenomenon. In order to understand the complexities of the experience as a refugee with a child living with disabilities, attending to the lived and told stories is essential. In hearing the narration of these experiences across time, place, and social contexts various narrative threads emerged. The narrative threads
  that resonated across the experiences of two families included waiting and a struggle for agency, as well as disruption and continuity.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • refugee
  • disability
  • children
  • families
  • Syria
  • narrative inquiry

• Graduation date

  Spring 2022

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Nursing

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-j47g-f263

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.