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UNDERSTANDING PROCESS OF LEARNING THAT IMMIGRANT COLOMBIAN WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES UNDERGO DURING THEIR SOCIAL INTEGRATION EXPERIENCES by MONICA ARBOLEDA (Under the Direction of Aliki Nicolaides) ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to describe and to understand the social integrations experiences, and the learning that occurs for adult immigrant Colombian women in the United States. The following research questions guided the study: 1. How do adult immigrant Colombian women describe and understand their social integration experiences in the United States? 2. What types of learning, if any, take place during the social integration experiences of immigrant adult Colombian women in the United States and does the learning lead to a deeper individual change? The epistemological frames that informed this study were experiential learning, transformational learning, postcolonial feminist theory, social integration, and feminization of migration. The study used a basic interpretative qualitative research design as the methodology of inquiry and the epistemological paradigm was the interpretive-constructive stance. Data were collected through interviews and documents. For the analysis of the data, I used two methods. First, the holistic-contend and the constant comparative analysis method. Data analysis revealed two main findings: First, women who participated in the study have not developed a sense of belonging to the United States regardless of time in the country or immigration status, communicating that it is necessary to develop a sense of biculturalism, more social mobility and being active citizens in order to fulfill their integration process. Acquisition of the language, understanding the culture, and isolation were the most unanticipated challenges experienced by participants. Participants began to describe their social integration experiences from the moment when they made the decision to migrate and expressed that the first two or three years after their arrival, were the most critical time for their integration process. The second main finding was that all eight women participated in both formal and non-formal educational programs prior to and upon arrival in the United States. From the analysis emerged learning from experience as an integral type of learning during the social integration experiences. The analysis of the data also revealed a process of learning from experience that included two components: Instrumental learning (practical day-to-day learning), transformative learning (self-reflective, dialogic learning and women’s making meaning of new self). INDEX WORDS: Adult Education, Learning from the Experience, Transformative Learning, Postcolonial Feminist Theory, Social Integration, Immigrants, Latina immigrants, Immigrant Adult Colombian Women, Refugees, Colombian Refugees, Women’s Experience, Forced Migration, Qualitative Research UNDERSTANDING PROCESS OF LEARNING THAT IMMIGRANT COLOMBIAN WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES UNDERGO DURING THEIR SOCIAL INTEGRATION EXPERIENCES by MONICA ARBOLEDA B.A., Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia, 2000 M.Ed., The University of Georgia, 2009 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2014 © 2014 Monica Arboleda All Rights Reserved UNDERSTANDING PROCESS OF LEARNING THAT IMMIGRANT COLOMBIAN WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES UNDERGO DURING THEIR SOCIAL INTEGRATION EXPERIENCES by MONICA ARBOLEDA Major Professor: Aliki Nicolaides Committee: Bradly Courtenay Janette Hill Diane Napier Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May, 2014 iv DEDICATION To my mother, Martha Lucia Giraldo Valencia To my daughter, Manuela Arboleda Giraldo To my wife, Lisa J. Millisor To my father, Hernando Arboleda Hecheverry To the Colombian women here and there Thank you all for your precious gifts. Thanks for being here in your unique ways. This is also yours. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This journey would not have been possible without the support, generosity, commitment, and trust of numerous souls. I am deeply grateful to the members of my committee for their influence and contribution to my research. Dr. Aliki Nicolaides -the Chair of my committee, for providing guidance, encouragement, challenge, for your careful reading which was vital to this dissertation, and helped me to find my own voice anew. Her acute academic sensitivity was exceptional. Dr. Bradly Courtenay, for believing in me before my arrival in the United States, for his guidance, and being there with his wisdom and humor through my entire journey in the graduate studies. Dr. Diane Napier, for making this adventure, a pleasant journey through the complexities of post- colonialism, immigration and their vicissitudes. Dr. Janette Hill, for her insight into the dissertation journey. Dr. Robert J. Hill, for his wise input at the early stages of this study, and his professional guidance during my doctoral program. Each member has uniquely contributed to my study, helping me make it to this day. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................1 Background of the Study .............................................................................3 Statement of the Problem ...........................................................................15 Purpose of the Study and Research Questions ...........................................18 Significance of the Study ...........................................................................18 Definitions..................................................................................................19 Chapter Summary ......................................................................................21 2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .................................................................22 Postcolonial Feminist Theory ....................................................................23 Feminization of Migration .........................................................................36 Social Integration .......................................................................................48 Adult Learning Theories ............................................................................59 Chapter Summary ......................................................................................85 vii 3 METHODOLOGY ..........................................................................................86 Design of the Study ....................................................................................86 Participants Selection .................................................................................90 Data Collection ..........................................................................................98 Data Analysis Procedures ........................................................................103 Trustworthiness of the Study ...................................................................112 Assumptions and Limitations ..................................................................121 Chapter Summary ....................................................................................123 4 PARTICIPANTS PROFILES ........................................................................124 Betty .........................................................................................................125 Diana ........................................................................................................128 Eugenia ....................................................................................................132 Juanita ......................................................................................................136 Liliana ......................................................................................................140 Patricia .....................................................................................................143 Sandra ......................................................................................................147 Yolanda ....................................................................................................152 Chapter Summary ....................................................................................156 5 FINDINGS .....................................................................................................157 Describing and Understanding the Social Integration Experiences .........159 Learning during the Social Integration Experiences ................................203 Chapter Summary ....................................................................................259 6 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS ..............................262 viii Summary of the Study .............................................................................262 Summary of the Findings .........................................................................264