How Prior Social Ecologies Shape Family Resilience Amongst Refugees in U.S. Resettlement

Annual Research Review: What is resilience within the social ecology of human development?

“…In the case of resilience, studies that capture the complexity of systemic interactions show that microsystemic processes tend to be less predictive of positive outcomes than the meso‐ and macrosystemic interactions that trigger individual responses to stress (e.g. Weine, Levin, Hakizimana, & Kahnweih, 2012). In other words, we find support for a ‘decentered’ understanding of resilience in which changing the odds stacked against the individual contributes far more to changes in outcomes than the capacity of individuals themselves to change (Ungar, 2011b).…”

Varied Patterns of Family Resilience in Challenging Contexts

“…The mother–son alliance against the school should be seen as part of a collective narrative of family preservation that is psychologically protective in a particular sociohistorical context (Kirmayer, Dandeneau, Marshall, Phillips, & Williamson, ). Put simply, research shows that families are likely to adapt as best they can to stressors in different contexts and cultures in a multitude of different ways over time depending on the resources available to them (Schoon, ; Ungar, Liebenberg, Landry, & Ikeda, ; Weine, Levin, Hakizimana, & Kahnweih, ).…”

Parental care in trajectories of forced migration: Ruptures and changing conditions for family life

“…So far, psychological research has focused on mental health issues and deficits in the parent–child relationship (discussed in Fennig & Denov, 2019). However, only few studies have explored the impact of multiple loss and limited socio‐economic resources on parental care in refugee families (see also Betancourt et al, 2015; Weine et al, 2011), but without conceptualizing the interplay of forced migration and parental care. These studies underscore the need for research to explore this intersection and develop conceptualization of parental care theoretically.…”

“…Historically, research on parental care in refugee families has focused on the mental health consequences of war exposure and forced migration (Hart, 2016; Merry et al, 2017), while recent research also focuses on the resettlement process, conceptualized as acculturation or post‐migration stressors (Betancourt et al, 2015; Denov & Shevell, 2019; Lietaert et al, 2020; Weine et al, 2011). Psychological research on parental care in refugee families has centred on the consequences of traumatization in the parent–child relationship, based on trauma and attachment theory (Dalgaard et al, 2020; Merry et al, 2017).…”