Department of Human Services Southern Metropolitan Region

Understanding the client experience: Refugees settling into the Australian culture

April 2010

1 Published by Social and Community Strategy Unit Southern Metropolitan Region Victorian Government Department of Human Services Melbourne Victoria Australia April 2010

© Copyright State of Victoria, Department of Human Services, 2010.

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2 Table of contents

1. Background and aims...... 4 2. Experiences and views of refugees ...... 5 2.1 Lack of knowledge of the Australian culture and language barriers ...... 5 2.2 Cultural differences affecting use of services and community participation ...... 6 2.3 Importance of maintaining cultural identity ...... 7 2.4 Challenges facing young people ...... 7 2.5 Challenges facing families ...... 9 2.6 Recommendations from people of refugee backgrounds...... 11 3. Experiences and views of service providers who work with people from refugee backgrounds ...... 11 3.1 Language barriers ...... 11 3.2 Need for culturally-sensitive service providers ...... 12 3.3 Racism and discrimination...... 12 3.4 Factors affecting the settlement of young people ...... 13 4. Experiences and views of non-Government organisations and researchers ……………………………………………………………………………………………………...13 4.1 Recognising the resilience and adaptability of refugees ...... 13 4.2 Ensuring understanding of migration and acculturation processes ...... 14 4.3 Acknowledging the importance of developing social connections ...... 15 4.4 Establishing culturally competent services to improve mental health outcomes 16 5. Summary and recommendations...... 17 6. Limitations...... 19 7. References ...... 21

3 1. Background and aims

‘The key to the success of Australian multiculturalism is inclusiveness. Every Australian benefits from our diversity and all Australians have the right to be active and equal participants in Australian society, free to live their lives and maintain their cultural traditions.’ 1

This literature review examines the issues that refugees may experience during their settlement into the Australian culture. The literature includes peer-reviewed journal articles, government publications and reports published by non-government organisations and individual researchers.

In order to cover a wide range of ideas and perspectives, the review is divided into three parts: experiences and views of people from refugee backgrounds, experiences and views of service providers who work with people from refugee backgrounds, and experiences and views of non-government organisations and researchers. Through an exploration of these diverse viewpoints, the review is able to reach a holistic understanding of the issues facing people of refugee backgrounds when settling into the Australian culture.

In this review, culture is defined as encompassing ‘values, perceptions, attitudes, language and learned behaviours, conditioned by a particular history and socioeconomic system’. 2 Culture is a particularly important issue to consider in relation to refugees, because refugees are by definition persons who have a well-founded fear of persecution due to their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or social grouping. Due to this fear, they are living outside their country of origin and are unable or unwilling to return, often surviving in perilous conditions. 3 For refugees who have already experienced discrimination on the basis of their culture, feeling safe, accepted, protected and having a positive cultural identity are a vital part of successful settlement into the Australian community.

Throughout Australia's history, refugees and migrants have found innovative ways to negotiate cultural differences and achieve successful settlement outcomes. Refugees arrive in Australia today from a wide variety of countries, and there is much diversity between their cultural groups and between the experiences of individuals. However, there also tend to be common difficulties experienced as refugees adjust to Australian life, which are compounded by traumatic experiences both before and during migration. 4

4 The term ‘integration’ is used frequently throughout this review to describe the experiences of refugees during settlement into the Australian community. Integration is only a concept, but can be defined as what happens when a person of one cultural background settles well into a new community which has a different dominant culture. 4 Integration, unlike the idea of assimilation, doesn’t assume that new arrivals should blend into the dominant culture, in a one-way exchange with a resulting loss of cultural identity. 4 Rather, ‘integration assumes there are multiple parts, identities, communities and so on that make up the whole society, and that new arrivals have been able to contribute and become active citizens of a cohesive and diverse community’. 4 Thus integration enables people of refugee backgrounds to be strong in their original cultural identity, while also identifying as belonging to the broader Australian community.

Whether working with people of refugee backgrounds directly, or planning and implementing policies that affect their settlement experiences, it is paramount that the views and experiences of people from refugee backgrounds are understood and taken into account. This literature review regarding refugees’ experiences while integrating into the Australian culture will allow for a greater understanding of the issues involved, and through this, will inform the planning and delivery of services that aim to improve the health, wellbeing and settlement outcomes of refugees.

2. Experiences and views of people from refugee backgrounds

Following a literature search, three Australian studies 5 6 7 8 were identified in which refugees were asked to describe their settlement experiences. One study 5 6 followed 120 young refugee people over a five year period and collected qualitative and quantitative data. The other two studies 7 8 interviewed 39 and 41 community members and leaders from the Sudanese and Afghan communities respectively. All three studies were conducted in Melbourne. From these three studies and other published papers, a diverse range of opinions and experiences were expressed by participants. However, the following key themes occurred through many narratives of the settlement experience.

2.1 Language barriers and lack of knowledge of Australian culture

People of refugee backgrounds consistently expressed the strong desire to live peaceful and productive lives in Australia, 8 and many spoke positively about their first experiences

5 in the Australian community. For example, some spoke of their excitement of living in a safe country free from violence and discrimination,8 and their pleasant surprise at discovering the diversity and friendliness of the Australian people. 8 However, refugees also described their lack of knowledge of Australian culture prior to arrival, and a cultural orientation that was too short and rushed. 7 Along with the culture shock that occurs when living in a new country, 8 lack of knowledge about the Australian culture beforehand makes the settlement experience more challenging.

Refugees’ unfamiliarity with Australian life was often compounded by low English proficiency, which made it more difficult to understand the new culture. 7 Different cultural norms can make it difficult to adapt to Australian expectations and systems. For example, processes for obtaining housing and employment may be quite different in their country of origin, where approaching the landlord or employer directly is more common. 8 For those who have had previous schooling, the education system may seem very different, 7 and laws can appear complex and may be applied more strictly than in the country of origin. 7 Refugees also spoke of the challenges of prioritising learning about the new culture, when other issues may be more pressing, for example obtaining stable housing and organising reunification with family who are still overseas. 7

2.2 Cultural differences affecting service uptake and community participation

Many refugees explained that differences in cultural understandings could affect their uptake of community services. For example, in some communities it is common to share private information or emotional distress only with family, friends or community elders, 7 as opposed to a stranger or someone from the government. 7 As a result, people of refugee backgrounds are unlikely to view counselling services as an acceptable option, even if they recognise they are suffering due to past trauma or present settlement issues. 8 Avoidance of counselling services may also occur due to differing cultural perspectives about the causes and treatment of mental health problems.

Different cultural norms may also prevent some refugee groups from participating in broader social and community activities. For example, Afghani women may be advised by their doctors to go swimming to relieve their back pain, however they may be unable to use the local pool because of cultural restrictions regarding swimming with men. 8 Language may also act as a barrier to participation, particularly for older people or women who speak little English and who may be at home for most of the day. 8 Some refugees voiced the isolation they felt without the active social and community life of their home

6 country, and recognised the negative impacts this was having on their physical and mental health and wellbeing. 8

2.3 Importance of maintaining cultural identity

Many refugees spoke of their pride in belonging to their culture of origin, 8 and saw it as a powerful influence on their behaviour regardless of where they lived. 7 Refugees stated that they continue to practice their cultural traditions in Australia, including celebrations, modes of cooking, music, hospitality, dress and spiritual practices, and viewed it as important for their young people to maintain a sense of cultural identity. 7 A recurring theme however, was the worry that cultural traditions, norms and language would be lost through settlement in Australia. 8

However, some people from refugee backgrounds expressed the view that they didn’t clearly belong to any culture, due to spending much of their childhood in refugee camps outside their country of origin. For some of these people, learning from community elders in Australia may be a way to reclaim some of the traditions to teach to their own children. 7

Many refugees have found ways to adapt so they identify with both cultures, for example as Afghan Australians. 8 There were many examples cited in the literature of modifications made to cultural practices in order to fit the Australian context, some out of choice and others of necessity. For example, women who traditionally may have been at home are now working, and birth control that was previously avoided is now sometimes used, both for financial reasons and due to the lack of extended family in Australia to help with children. 7 When marrying, young people may still take part in arranged marriages, but some choose to marry outside of their culture, 7 or to wear white wedding gowns instead of traditional tribal dresses. 7 For many people of refugee background, developing the ability to maintain their culture of origin while also accommodating the Australian culture helps them fit into diverse social situations. 7 Young people in particular spoke of learning to display two different sets of cultural behaviours.

2.4 Challenges facing young people

Young people from refugee backgrounds reported a number of consistent themes in the research, for example difficulties with their education. Some refugees reportedly found the transition to the Australian system quite easy 8 and many had high aspirations for future study and careers. 8 However, many have had very little education in their country of origin or transit, yet their parents hold high expectations of their children’s abilities. 7 In

7 addition, young people may be unfamiliar with computers and other technologies, and when combined with language difficulties, studying can be very challenging. 8 In countries such as Sudan, children have been used to a classroom where they listen to the teacher all day without interacting with them, and face physical discipline if they misbehave, therefore children may be confused about the comparative freedom of Australian classrooms. 7 These cultural and academic challenges can result in loss of self-esteem, behavioural issues in the classroom, the use of alcohol as a coping mechanism 7 and sometimes leaving secondary school prematurely. 7

Some young people may experience racism and discrimination, both from peers at school 5 and in the broader community. At school racist graffiti may appear in the toilets, 5 and racial taunts can lead to fights, 5 which mean that some young people from refugee backgrounds gain a reputation for fighting at school. 5 Outside school, young people may be called racist names while walking down the street, 5 or be negatively stereotyped by community members.

While some young refugees report having positive experiences with the police, 6 and some view them as very friendly and as a source of help, others also report experiencing discrimination when interacting with police. 6 For example, some young people report being checked for identification regularly while others aren’t, 6 and others report their frustration with the automatic assumption that they are in a gang if they are socialising with friends.

There are also challenges for young refugees in maintaining positive relationships with their family. For example, in school young people will be encouraged to speak their minds, but at home they may be expected to listen and not argue with their elders. 8 Young people may also feel that their parents, who haven't grown up in the Australian culture, would not understand what they are going through, and may feel that some issues are culturally unacceptable to discuss, for example peer pressure, drugs, sex or alcohol. 8 Young people may also be angry when their parents don’t allow them to go out as their friends do, 7 and girls may be frustrated when their brothers are allowed more freedom due to different gender expectations. 8 Arranged marriages, while not always an issue for young people, 8 may cause conflict in some families, as not all young people will be given the freedom to choose their partner. However, not all refugees reported negative relationships with their parents, acknowledging the sacrifices they had made for their children’s future, 8 and acknowledging the importance of family support in staying on track. Feeling connected to both cultures was also seen as important for young people to settle well, for example attending cultural community events while also making friends in the broader Australian community. 4

8 2.5 Challenges facing families

There are multiple pressures exerted on refugee families during settlement in Australia, for example navigating unfamiliar systems, securing housing, learning English, obtaining employment and adjusting to a new school system. Families may also experience discrimination, for example from landlords 7 or potential employers. 7 Some reported exploitation from employers who take advantage of their refugee status and lack of proficiency in the English language. 8

However, many of the issues raised by people of refugee backgrounds concern cultural expectations within families, and the conflicts that occur as roles change and power balances shift during settlement. For example in the case of married life, in many cultures the husband is traditionally the breadwinner, 7 head of the family, 8 and retains ownership of any children. 7 In this situation the wife’s main role is to look after the house, cook, clean and care for the children. 7 Men may feel a loss of status in Australia if they are unable to find work, or if their university qualifications are not recognised. 7 For women at home, the elderly, 8 those who do not speak English and those who have had few educational opportunities, 8 a tremendous sense of isolation can be felt.

Women, either from necessity or by choice may start work, and due to Centrelink requirements they may need their own bank account where benefits for themselves and their children are paid. 7 Some husbands are supportive of their wife’s independence, but others find it very challenging. 7 This change in economic power may lead to arguments about money. For example, in many cultures the extended family is of high importance, and people may feel obligated to financially assist family overseas. However, conflict may occur when one partner wishes to send money to relatives, while the other prefers to use it to cover expenses in Australia. 7 Due to cultural ideals about marriage and divorce, partners may choose to stay together even when both are unhappy, although the refugees spoke of situations where couples had divorced. 7

It is important to note though, that great variation exists between and within cultural groups and families. For example, many women spoke of joint decision-making when it came to their children’s futures 8 and other women spoke of their husbands helping with housework because the women were working. 7 An Afghan woman explained that it wasn’t necessarily due to their own cultural values that prevented them working in their country of origin. 7

9 The generation gap has previously been mentioned as an issue facing young people, however it is important to acknowledge that this issue is challenging for parents too. As with husbands and wives, many issues stem from the movement away from cultural norms about family roles, particularly as children adapt to ideas from the broader Australian community. For example, in many cultures there is a strong emphasis on community and respect for and consultation with elders. 7 Children are expected to respect their parents through all stages of life and to remain in the family home until they are married. 7 The greater freedom that children experience at school may cause them to push their cultural boundaries, while parents may wish their children to behave according to cultural expectations. 8 There may also be a power shift between parents and children, as children usually grasp the English language more quickly and therefore may be called upon to explain the Australian culture to their parents 7 or to act as informal interpreters or translators. 7

It is important to acknowledge that parents often make the choice to move to Australia so their children can have a better life, and they take their parental responsibilities seriously. Their care may be demonstrated through the careful choosing of a husband for their daughter, 7 or the decision to let her marry the partner of her choice as long as she has their approval. 7 Parents may worry that they will be viewed as irresponsible by their cultural community if their children leave home, 7 and many people from refugee backgrounds spoke of their worry that they would lose their young people.

Parents can experience challenges if their parenting style is brought into question by the new culture. For example, in some cultures physical discipline is routinely used and is seen as an acceptable part of a parent’s role. 8 Different understandings about the raising of children, especially within the context of an elder-centred and respect-centred culture, coupled with language barriers, may cause some parents to have difficulty understanding Australia’s child protection laws. 7 For example, they may not understand why a child would need protection from their parents, especially for the kind of discipline that is commonplace in their country of origin. However, there is also evidence that parents are trying to understand and adapt to Australian expectations. Evidence indicates that the relationships between families are changing as a result of exposure to the Australian culture. For example, a mother spoke of her decision not to continue with an arranged marriage for her daughter, 8 and others spoke of changing family dynamics.

10 2.6 Recommendations from people of refugee backgrounds

While refugees interviewed for the research were not specifically asked about what could have improved their integration into the Australian culture, there were several ideas captured through the interviews. For example, one recurring theme was the need for all Australians to maintain an open mind, to try to understand what refugees had experienced and not to make assumptions.

The interviewees also suggested that time and adequate support are vital to ensure successful adjustment to the Australian life. For example, it takes time and learning to understand complexities such as the road laws, 7 and to progress to the point where they are ready to seek counselling.8

Another recurring theme was the need to maintain social connections with others who shared their culture and language. However, refugees also expressed a desire for full participation in the Australian community, and recognised that English language skills were fundamental to achieving this, particularly for women and older people who felt isolated at home.

For young people from refugee backgrounds, a combination of assistance with education, such as additional homework programs, 8 and community activities to relieve boredom and its negative behavioural consequences 7 were suggested.

3. Experiences and views of service providers who work with people from refugee backgrounds

As well as papers documenting the views and experiences of refugees integrating into the Australian community, evidence has also been collated from service providers documenting their experiences assisting refugees. Four studies were identified in this regard, and from these papers a number of common themes emerged.

3.1 Language as a barrier to participation

Language difficulties were a dominant theme. One bilingual community worker spoke of being overwhelmed with non-English speaking clients each week, requesting that she translate documents, and make and change appointments on their behalf: ‘…the mother

11 wants to pay the bill [sic] and solve the problems and go to school and everything – but the problem is [her] lack of English’. 8 The community worker suggested that, as many women from refugee backgrounds have received very little prior education, it is potentially difficult for them to succeed in English language classes in Australia. 8

3.2 Need for culturally-sensitive service providers

The need for culturally-sensitive and open-minded direct care workers was a recurring theme expressed by service providers. For example, an awareness that in some cultures, pregnancy is announced only to the husband after a period of time, and that a pregnancy may not be announced to the wider community at all, will assist workers to support these women who feel shy or embarrassed discussing reproductive issues. 8 Discussing other sensitive issues with these women may be problematic.

During settlement in Australia, family roles may shift substantially and traditional power structures may invert completely, causing conflict within the family unit. For example, children often act as interpreters for their parents, 7 and men may feel their traditional role as head of the household is being challenged. It is vital that service providers are aware of these issues and modify their interactions with refugee families accordingly.

However, it is also important that service providers keep an open mind and refrain from stereotyping their clients based on their cultural background. An experienced family therapist suggested that it was common sense for service providers to familiarise themselves with their clients' cultures, however to ensure they never assumed themselves to be an expert on these cultures. 9

3.3 Instances of racism and discrimination

Direct care workers described witnessing instances of discrimination and racism, directed towards their clients during their interactions with community members. 10 For example, one worker described observing poor treatment of Sudanese young people in Centrelink, Vic Roads and various banks. 10 Workers also recounted instances of poor treatment of African clients by members of the police force 10 and potential employers.

Young people reported experiencing discrimination and racism during sporting and recreational activities. For example, one young woman who reported a racist comment by another player in a basketball game, was told by her coach ‘not to worry, she will get used

12 to it’. 10 Another young woman went to sign up for a basketball club and was asked if she wanted to join ‘a black team or a white team?’ 10

3.4 Factors affecting the settlement of young people

When community workers were asked to identify the factors which contribute to the successful settlement and integration of newly arrived young people in Australia, the factors included: living in a safe and non-discriminatory environment, having a sense of wellbeing, having good support networks and a sense of connectedness to their families and communities, maintaining relationships with family members both in Australia and overseas, successfully negotiating family structures in the new social context and being able to understand Australian social and communication norms. 4

4. Experiences and views of non-Government organisations and researchers

As well as reports published describing the experiences of refugees themselves and the viewpoints of service providers and direct care workers, much information has also been published by non-government organisations (for example, the Centre for Multicultural Youth and La Trobe Refugee Research Centre) and individual researchers. The key findings and recommendations from these sources are summarised below.

4.1 Recognising the resilience and adaptability of refugees

The published literature consistently acknowledged the resilience, adaptability and innovation of people from refugee backgrounds settling in Australia. It was emphasised that despite the challenges facing refugees, ‘perhaps the most inspiring part of their psychological outlook was that of their optimism for the future’. 11 For example, Sudanese community members in Victoria have resourcefully adapted cultural behaviours to assist others in the settlement process. For example, facilitating information sharing across Sudanese cultural groups 7 and community members in their forties acting as elders to counsel and advise others, due to the small number of elders aged over sixty. 7

It is essential to recognise the resilience and adaptability of young people in particular, and to build upon these strengths. For example, young refugee people have often developed language, social and cultural skills in multiple locations as a result of their

13 refugee experience. Emphasising this as a strength and assisting refugees to maintain their community connections, may help them to maintain a positive cultural identity within the broader Australian culture, and to get beyond the (often) disempowering label of ‘refugee’. 12

4.2 Ensuring understanding of migration and acculturation processes

Researchers emphasised the importance of service providers understanding the issues experienced by families (not necessarily refugee families), during migration to an area with a different dominant culture. According to one theory, there are five stages of migration, each with ‘different characteristics, triggering different…family coping mechanisms and unchaining different…conflicts and symptoms’. 13

Stage one of migration occurs prior to leaving and stage two during the migration journey, with stages three to five occurring as the family settles into the new area. The third stage involves the suppression of distress by family members, due to the need to satisfy basic needs such as housing and employment. However in the fourth stage, families begin responding to the stressors of migration, resulting in a period of conflict. In the fifth stage, a generation gap can be seen in the family as the children become socialised into the new culture, thus challenging their parents’ cultural norms. 13

The theory of ‘acculturation’ can also assist service providers and policy makers to understand the experiences of refugees settling in Australia. Acculturation is defined as ‘the process of moving to, living in and adapting to a culture different to one's country of origin’. 2 According to this theory, people moving to an area with a different dominant culture will adapt and modify their behaviours to various degrees, which can be described as four different acculturation styles. ‘Assimilation’ involves adopting the new culture while rejecting the culture of origin and 'integration' entails adopting the new culture while maintaining traditional cultural integrity. 'Separation' signifies embracing the new culture and rejecting the original culture and 'marginalisation' indicates withdrawing from identifying with either culture. 14 An awareness of migration and acculturation processes will enable direct care workers to deal more sensitively with people of refugee backgrounds, thus improving their settlement outcomes.

14 4.3 Acknowledging the importance of developing social connections

Evidence indicates that social support and connectedness to one’s family are vital positive influences on the mental health of refugees. 15 When considering the role of social relationships in aiding the integration of refugees, a useful concept to remember is that of ‘social capital’. Social capital refers to a resource that can foster and promote community harmony, and involves ‘networks that together with shared norms, values and understandings…[may] facilitate cooperation within or among groups’. 4 Social capital is created when people ‘join organisations, volunteer, socialise with friends and family, participate in learning activities or develop trust with their neighbour. These and similar activities represent social networks that produce norms of reciprocity, that is the inclination to act positively towards others…’. 4 A further aspect of social capital, however is that people tend to invest in social relationships with the people and groups who seem available to them. This means that some people's networks are more powerful and extensive than others, which creates inequality in terms of access to opportunities and community participation. 16

To enhance settlement outcomes for refugees and improve social cohesion, it is essential that refugees' social relationships include people both from their culture of origin and people and organisations from the wider Australian community. 4 For example, support groups (such as youth, gender or ethno-specific groups) together with recreational activities are ways to encourage the formation of social capital. 4 One such example is a program called ‘Kar Kulture’, which encourages positive relationships with the wider community. 17 The program enables young people from different cultural backgrounds to learn about road safety and prepare for their drivers' licence test, while restoring a car together, thus building relationships with other young people and members of the police force. 17

Building social relationships can also assist refugees to recover from trauma and further community integration. An example of this approach is a South Australian program called ‘Fun Days Out,’ which offers ‘normalising’ social experiences for refugee children through community-based art, recreational activities and excursions during school breaks. 16 The aim of the program is to ‘help…participants feel more at home in Australia…by helping them gain new social and recreational skills and…[open] access to key local sites’. 16 In this way, the program helps children to see their new environment and community as friendly and positive, ‘as a means for children and young people to guide their own healing and integration’. 16

15 4.4 Establishing culturally competent services to improve mental health outcomes

The need for culturally competent programs, services and workers to meet the needs of people from refugee backgrounds was a strong theme recurring through the literature. Therefore cultural awareness training, including youth-specific information, should play a vital and ongoing role in workforce training and development, for example in organisations such as the police force. 6

Researchers frequently articulated the need to improve cultural competency in the context of enhancing mental health outcomes. Specifically, the need for workers to be aware of the different cultural perspectives about mental health. For example, many psychiatric disorders are Western concepts, therefore some refugee parents may not seek counselling if their child is exhibiting signs of a mental disorder or other worrying behaviours. 18 In collectivist cultures that emphasise family and community bonds, relatives may choose to care for a person with mental health issues themselves rather than seeking assistance, or may seek a traditional treatment in accordance with their cultural belief systems. 19

Mental health issues, if left untreated may profoundly affect mental and physical wellbeing, relationships and participation in the broader community. 19 Therefore it is essential to provide holistic and culturally competent services, so that vulnerable refugees are encouraged to seek help before a major crisis occurs. 7 Services don't generally require specific knowledge of a particular cultural group, but rather should have ‘a culturally sensitive model that is applicable to diverse groups of people’. 20 These services should recognise that while trauma is often a significant component of the refugee experience, dealing with the stressors of acculturation, changes within families and struggles with cultural identity issues may also form part of their clients’ current needs. 21

16 5. Summary and recommendations

The aim of this review was to reach a more holistic understanding of refugee’s experiences integrating into the Australian culture. When reflecting on the experiences and views of people from refugee backgrounds, service providers and non-Government organisations and academics, four main ideas were referred to by all three groups. The key themes outlined below incorporate several recommendations to support integration and promote successful settlement for people from refugee backgrounds in Australia.

• Language barriers are a key factor affecting full participation in the community. Low English proficiency prevents many people of refugee background from actively participating in community life, whether it be obtaining employment or participating in community groups and events. People from refugee backgrounds may find it more difficult to learn about Australian cultural norms and expectations, if they lack the language skills necessary to read documents and communicate with members of the wider community. While interpreting and translating services are crucial to enable people from refugee backgrounds to communicate with service providers, it is vital that greater support is provided for people to improve their English skills. Enhancing language skills will enable more people from refugee backgrounds, particularly women and the elderly who may experience isolation, to complete everyday tasks, develop relationships with people from the wider community, and to participate more fully in community life.

• Discrimination and racism are major barriers to integration. A safe and welcoming community assists new arrivals to settle successfully into their new home. Equality is a basic human right, however racism and discrimination are reportedly experienced by many people from refugee backgrounds in Australia. Whether overt or implicit, racism may cause the environment to appear unsafe and unwelcoming, reducing community participation and the chance for new arrivals to develop the positive relationships and connections which may break down some of the barriers and stereotypes within the community. As experiences of discrimination may negatively affect mental health and wellbeing, eliminating discrimination within the Australian community is a key health promotion priority and an important part of ensuring successful integration.

• Families and young people need additional support to address settlement challenges. Family roles and behaviours often undergo profound change as parents and children adapt to living in the Australian environment. These changes, such as the

17 shift in power from men towards women and children, often challenge traditional family dynamics, including family hierarchies, roles and patterns of interaction. Young people face unique settlement challenges, including navigating the Australian education system often with little prior education, facing discrimination from schoolmates and the broader community, and the tension of maintaining culturally- expected behaviour at home while also adapting to Australian cultural norms. An awareness of the conflicts that can occur within families upon settlement, including the particular challenges faced by young people, are important to consider when planning and delivering services for refugee families and young people. Awareness may be enhanced through workplace training and seminars.

• Greater cultural competency is required from service providers. People from diverse cultural backgrounds may have varied understandings and norms about aspects of day-to-day life. For example, they may have different understandings about the causes and treatment of health issues, and different ideas about what constitutes culturally-acceptable behaviour. Such differing views may affect service uptake and influence reactions to the services provided. While service providers may wish to familiarise themselves with aspects of their clients’ cultures, the diversity within cultural and family groups necessitates that stereotyping and assumptions be avoided. Rather, an open mind with an acknowledgement of diversity is an appropriate base for service providers to work from. This awareness may need to be promoted through workplace cultural competency training and development.

A further aim of this review was to inform the planning and delivery of services, by promoting a greater understanding of the issues faced by refugees when integrating into the Australian culture. However, while this review provides an important preliminary framework, further research and a more targeted literature review covering potential responses is recommended. For example, research into the practical implications of delivering culturally responsive services, with strategies for organisations and best practice examples. Such research would further enrich the skills of service providers in meeting the diverse needs of people from refugee backgrounds in Australia.

18 6. Limitations

There are several limitations to this review which must be acknowledged.

Firstly, there are study design weaknesses within the academic papers that were reviewed. These limitations have been acknowledged by authors of the various studies, however the weaknesses may affect the validity and generalisability of the results. For example, some studies selected small samples or non-random cohorts, 2 thus the sample may not be representative of the wider population. 21 Further, some measurement tools and inventories used in the studies were designed for Anglo-Saxon populations, and may be inappropriate for culturally diverse populations, as they do not acknowledge culturally- influenced variations in behaviour. 14 For example, mental health questionnaires may not acknowledge that the disclosure of mental health issues may be culturally unacceptable to some participants.14 Tools such as these reflect Western concepts of psychiatric disorders, and do not encompass the varying cultural understandings of mental illness. 18 Other limitations mentioned by the researchers include limited time to interview participants, the subjective nature of self-reported data, the desires of young people not to embarrass their parents and the urge to give socially or culturally accepted answers. 2

There may also be limitations in the literature due to language barriers. For example, participant responses may be misunderstood due to low English proficiency if interpreters were not used. However, errors may be introduced if participant responses are translated or interpreted into another language.15 If no formal translation and back translation process occurs, then the authenticity and consistency of the interpretation cannot be measured or verified. 21 Therefore, the validity and cross cultural comparability of some of the results presented may be questionable.21

Another limitation of this review concerns the demographic characteristics of study participants, leading to the possible exclusion of refugee population groups and cultural experiences from this review. Due to an emphasis in the current literature on refugees from Sudan and Afghanistan, rather than from Burma and Sri Lanka which also have significant populations in Australia, it must be acknowledged that not all refugee groups were equally represented in this review. Further, the majority of the literature in the first section (experiences and views of refugees) involved participants from metropolitan Melbourne only. Therefore it is possible that the themes identified may not be generalisable to the settlement experiences of refugees outside Melbourne.

19 A final limitation to note is that not all literature included in the review was peer-reviewed. This is particularly pertinent for the first section of the review, which summarises the experiences and views of people from refugee backgrounds. While the non peer-reviewed papers provide valuable insights into the settlement experiences of refugees, the inclusion of these reports may have reduced the quality of the evidence collated.

However despite these limitations, the themes described in the review were consistently expressed by people from refugee backgrounds, service providers, and non-government organisations and researchers. Therefore it can be concluded that there are common views and experiences shared by diverse groups of people, regarding the settlement and integration of refugees into the Australian culture.

20 7. References

1. Commonwealth Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Multicultural Australia: united in diversity – updating the 1999 new agenda for multicultural Australia: strategic directions for 2003-2006. 2003; available from http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/pdf/united_diversity.pdf 2. Poppit G, Frey R. Sudanese adolescent refugees: acculturation and acculturative stress. Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling. 2007;17(2):160-1. 3. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The 1951 Refugee Convention: questions and answers. 2007; available from http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49da0e466.html 4. Centre for Multicultural Youth Issues. Settling in: exploring good settlement for refugee young people in Australia. 2006; available from http://www.cmy.net.au/AllCMYPublications#S 5. Refugee Health Research Centre. Good starts for refugee youth broadsheet #4: experience of discrimination among refugee youth in Melbourne. 2007 Nov; available from http://www.latrobe.edu.au/rhrc/documents/broadsheet-4.pdf 6. Refugee Health Research Centre. Good starts for refugee youth broadsheet #2: promoting partnerships with police. 2007 Sep; available from http://www.latrobe.edu.au/rhrc/documents/broadsheet-2.pdf 7. South Eastern Region Migrant Resource Centre. Sudanese in south east Melbourne: perspectives of a new and emerging community. 2007 March; available from http://www.sermrc.org.au/uploads/mrc_resources/2007- %20Sudanese%20Community%20Profile%20-%20for%20MRC%20website.pdf 8. South Eastern Region Migrant Resource Centre. Afghan people in south east Melbourne: perspectives of a migrant and refugee community. 2009 March; available from http://www.sermrc.org.au/uploads/mrc_resources/Afghan%20profile%20- %20final%20copy.pdf 9. Barabash S. ‘Lady, leave my culture out of it!’ An interview with Nada Miocevic. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy. 2008;29(2):97-9. 10. Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission. Rights of passage: the experiences of Australian-Sudanese young people. 2008 Dec; available from http://www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au/pdf/rights_of_passage.pdf 11. Brough M, Gorman D, Ramirez E, Westoby P. Young refugees talk about wellbeing: a qualitative analysis of refugee youth mental health from three states. Australian Journal of Social Issues. 2003;38(2):193.

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12. La Trobe Refugee Research Centre. Homelands project. Available from: http://www.latrobe.edu.au/rhrc/homelands.html 13. Rubin BS. Refugee resettlement: a unique role for family services. Journal of Contemporary Social Work. 1982 May;302. 14. Barret PM, Sonderegger R, Sonderegger NL. Assessment of child and adolescent migrants to Australia: a cross-cultural comparison. Behavioural Change. 2002;19(4):221. 15. Schweitzer R, Melville F, Steel Z, Lacherez P. Trauma, post-migration living difficulties and social support as predictors of psychological adjustment in resettled Sudanese refugees. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 2006;40:179. 16. Hallahan L, Irizarry C. Fun Days Out: normalising social experiences for refugee children. Journal of Family Studies. 2008 April;14(1)124-8. 17 . VicHealth. Kar Kulture project launched. 2007 March; available from http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/en/Resource-Centre/Media-Centre/Partner-media- releases/Kar-Kulture-project-launched.aspx?p=1 18. McKelvey RS, Sang DL, Baldassar L, Davies L, Roberts L, Cutler N. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders among Vietnamese children and adults. Medical Journal of Australia. 2002 October 21;177:25. 19. Centre for Multicultural Youth. Engaging refugee and migrant young people around mental health: exploring strategies that work. 2008 October; available from http://www.cmy.net.au/Assets/475/1/ForumReport_SMYIN_MentalHealth_161008.pdf 20. Kelley P. Integrating systemic and post systemic approaches to social work practice with refugee families. Journal of Contemporary Human Services. 1994 November;541-9. 21. Barret PM, Moore AF, Sonderegger R. The FRIENDS Program for young former- Yugoslavian refugees in Australia: a pilot study. Behaviour Change. 2000;17(3):131.

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