Cultural Bereavement and Resilience in Refugee Resettlement: A Photovoice Study With Yazidi Women in the Midwest United States

Authors

Julie A. Tippens, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Kaitlin Roselius, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Irene Padasas, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Gulie Khalaf, Yezidis International, Lincoln, Nebraska
Kara Kohel, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Elizabeth Mollard, University of Nebraska Medical CenterFollow
Izdihar (Vianne) Sheikh, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

ORCID IDs

Julie A. Tippens https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0465-3570

Date of this Version

4-22-2021

Citation

Published in Qualitative Health Research (2021), DOI: 10.1177/10497323211003059, 18 pp

Comments

Copyright © 2021 Julie A. Tippens, Kaitlin Roselius, Irene Padasas, Gulie Khalaf, Kara Kohel, Elizabeth Mollard, and Izdihar (Vianne) Sheikh. Published by SAGE Publications. Used by permission

Abstract

This study explored how ethnic Yazidi refugee women overcome adversity to promote psychosocial health and well-being within the context of U.S. resettlement. Nine Yazidi women participated in two small photovoice groups, each group lasting eight sessions (16 sessions total). Women discussed premigration and resettlement challenges, cultural strengths and resources, and strategies to overcome adversity. Yazidi women identified trauma and perceived loss of culture as primary stressors. Participants’ resilience processes included using naan (as sustenance and symbol) to survive and thrive as well as by preserving an ethnoreligious identity. Findings suggest that women’s health priorities and resilience-promoting strategies center on fostering a collective cultural, religious, and ethnic identity postmigration. Importantly, women used naan (bread) as a metaphor to index cultural values, experiences of distress, and coping strategies. We discuss implications for this in promoting refugees’ mental and psychosocial health in U.S. resettlement.