Sense of Belonging in Refugees from the Former Yugoslavia: A Case Study in Resilience and Attachment
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Authors
Dujmic, Suzana
Issue Date
2012
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
refugees , resilience
Alternative Title
Abstract
In this proposed research study, I aim to answer the question: by what developmental pathways can a refugee from the Former Yugoslavia, seen as an intrinsic case example of resilience from a situation of endemic warfare and societal collapse, achieve social adjustment and psychological resiliency? In the spirit of Positive Psychology, I will explore the process of resilience in a context more generally predictive of identity and attachment disruption and the consequent pathology of a human life-experience. An extensive literature review has been included, which illustrates the historical background of the ethnic conflict and consequent civil war, psychosocial aspects of exposure to war, effects of abrupt displacements, and prospects of successful acculturation of refugee immigrants.