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God-Talk and Kin-Talk in the Survival Epistemology of Liberian Refugee Women: a Radical Challenge for Social Work

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God-Talk and Kin-Talk in the Survival Epistemology of Liberian Refugee Women: a Radical Challenge for Social Work NSONWU, MAURA BUSCH, Ph.D. God-Talk and Kin-Talk in the Survival Epistemology of Liberian Refugee Women: A Radical Challenge for Social Work. (2008) Directed by Dr. Kathleen Casey. 157 pp. The United States is once again experiencing an enormous influx of refugees and immigrants. This generates a number of challenges for the social work profession. Attention must be given to the differences between voluntary immigrants and traumatized refugees. From the point of view of social workers, each group must be understood in terms of its own cultural framework of meaning. There are, for example, important differences among Montagnard, Bosnian, and Liberian newcomers. Social workers must become conscious of their own cultural framework of meaning which may very well clash with that of their client. This study utilizes narrative research methodology to empower Liberian refugee mothers and grandmothers through the telling of their life stories. The oral tradition of storytelling is culturally rooted in African society as a gift of sharing lessons and offering guidance. As these refugee women speak of their experiences, their voices inform social work knowledge and cross cultural practice. I conducted in-depth interviews with seven Liberian refugee women currently living in the southern region of the United States. I was connected to all these women through refugee support projects. I asked each woman to tell me the story of her life. I tape recorded, transcribed, and analyzed these interviews using narrative research methodology: noting their selectivity (the women constantly made reference to God’s protection), silence (the women’s omissions may be misinterpreted by the social worker), slippage (“kin” relations as described by African narrators may not correspond to social work categories). Although each woman tells her own individual story, she also expresses experiences and interpretations which resonate with the other women. The emphasis of the collective experience in overcoming hardships highlights these women’s views of hope centered in a religious and familial context. These Liberian refugee women know that God will carry them through their suffering. They also know that the survival of their people depends on articulating an ongoing network of caring relationships. The secular professional ethos of social work potentially inhibits the sensitivity of the social worker towards belief systems emphasizing God and kin. As a marginalized group, the voices of refugees have not been part of prevailing discourse in our society. As victims of persecution, trauma, and violence, refugees have had limited or non-existence personal control of their lives. This study combines an understanding and knowledge of the political, cultural, social, and historical context of Liberians with social work to explore implications that examine cross cultural practice, pedagogy, and research with refugees. GOD-TALK AND KIN-TALK IN THE SURVIVAL EPISTEMOLOGY OF LIBERIAN REFUGEE WOMEN: A RADICAL CHALLENGE FOR SOCIAL WORK by Maura Busch Nsonwu A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate School at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Greensboro 2008 Approved by Committee Chair © 2008 by Maura Busch Nsonwu To all refugee mothers who persevere in the pursuit of safety and protection for their children while maintaining courage and hope for the future. ii APPROVAL PAGE This dissertation has been approved by the following committee of the Faculty of The Graduate School at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Committee Chair Committee Members Date of Acceptance by Committee Date of Final Oral Examination iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I agree with my husband who says it takes a village to earn a Ph.D. I have many people in my village to thank for contributing to my learning and for giving me strength and love in my educational journey. I want to thank the Liberian women who have graciously shared their stories of struggle, survival, perseverance, and faith with me. These women have taught me lessons of strength, unrelenting determination, and love. I strived to do justice in honoring their stories and hope that my work can serve as a legacy for the power that refugee women possess in assuring the survival of their children and maintaining hope for future generations. I want to thank my advisor, Dr. Kathleen Casey, for her wisdom in guiding me through this journey. Her guiding hand, head, heart, and soul lead me through a process of discovery and reassured me to value the voice of others and to have faith in myself. She has made it easy to trust and obey. I must also thank my esteemed committee members, Dr. Svi Shapiro, Dr. James Carmichael, and Dr. Sharon Morrison for their contributions in my studies, my teaching, and in this dissertation. Dr. Shapiro has been an invaluable teacher as he has challenged me to fight against injustice while seeking peace. I carry his lessons into the classroom with me as I teach my own students. In addition to his meticulous editing and critique of my writing, Dr. Carmichael has been an enthusiastic teacher who has embraced my research inquiry and has shared my passion in listening to the stories of Liberian refugee women. Both Dr. Shapiro and Dr. Carmichael iv assisted me as they encouraged me to narrow my inquiry thus sharpening the narratives of my participants for clarity and impact. Dr. Morrison has greatly contributed to my learning as she comes to my committee as an expert in working with refugees and immigrants. By sharing her knowledge of the literature, as well as, her advisement to construct my work to address pedagogy, practice, and research, Dr. Morrison has contributed to the flow and strength of this inquiry. I want to thank my work family in the Department of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the Center for New North Carolinians, and the Child Welfare Education Collaborative (CWEC) who have allowed me to follow my educational dream and have supported me along the way. I want to pay special thanks to Raleigh Bailey, Dan Beerman, Mary Anne Busch, Sue Dennison, Brian Downs, Pam Howe, Nikki LaFleur, Omer Omer, Wanda Patterson, John Rife, Bob Wineburg, the Office of Leadership and Service Learning, and the entire CWEC faculty as they contributed to my educational pursuit. Additionally, I want to thank the UNCG students who worked with me on this project—Melea Collins and Joscelyn Nickerson. In contributing to this project you have taught me lessons along the way. I am indebted to the significant contributions of the faculty, staff, and students at the University of Texas at Austin, most notably, Noël Busch-Armendariz, Laurie Cook, and Sharlene Eaton who assisted me with my interviews, literature review, and consultation. Your generous gifts of knowledge, expertise, time, and resources added to my success and learning. v My classmates in the Educational Leadership Cultural Foundations program at UNCG contributed to my village as we shared a camaraderie that went beyond the classroom. I value the friendships that I have made with fellow classmates—you have taught me valuable lessons that we can all learn from one another and that education is best when it is cooperative and congenial. Lastly, but most importantly, I want to thank my family (my kin) for supporting and making my dream a reality. Thank you to my Nigerian family, most especially my mother-in-law, Eunice Nsonwu for teaching me lessons of what is means to be a strong African woman of faith. Thank you to my best friends—my siblings (and their spouses) Anna, Eric, Noël, Larry, Chris, Liz and their children, Nate and Lila who assisted me with encouragement, child care, and sometimes distraction from rigors of school work. I am truly blessed to have such a loving family. My parents—Dr. Mary Anne Busch and Dr. Chris Busch have been my first teachers and have instilled in me the love of learning; their belief in me has been unwavering and has grounded my learning. Their lessons of social justice, integrity, and commitment to education have been the impetus for my educational and career paths. Together with my sister, Dr. Noël Busch-Armendariz, my parents have provided me exceptional mentoring as I have entered the academic world— challenging me to ask the difficult questions, teaching and exploring with me the complexity of the academic culture, contributing to exhilarating and challenging discussions of education, social work and social justice, assisting me with the necessary needs of childcare while I attended classes, and the mundane work of editing my writing. I am truly appreciative of their loving commitment to my education. They supported a vi dream that my husband, Victor, believed I could achieve even before I believed it myself. Like a tree that is planted by the water side, Victor, has been my strength and foundation. He has been a positive force in my life, believing in my success and standing with me to accomplish “our” goals. He has taught me lessons of tenacity, resiliency, and courage but most importantly he has affirmed commitment and love for family. As partners we have been blessed to have three children. I thank our children Amaka, Zik, and Adora for their loving patience and encouragement of my studies and work; I also thank them for keeping me grounded to what really matters. I hope that they are as proud of me as I am of each one of them. I love you—Afulum gi na anya. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION
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