Forced Migration and the Quest for Normality: Post-Migratory Experiences of Traumatized Iraqi Refugees in Norway

Abstract

The study investigates how a clinical sample of Iraqi refugee men speak about their lives in Norway, specifically on their experiences related to factors known to be influential in the restoration of normality in exile. Using thematic analysis (TA), the major themes extracted in this study relate to employment, finances and social support. These themes were all found to be influential in the lives of the participants, encouraging a sense of normality when in place. Drawing from Conservation of resources theory and The resource-based model of refugee adaptation, the key-findings suggest that (1) access to resources are regulated by social and political conditions and that (2) resource spirals perpetuate positive and negative cycles in the lives of the participants. We also engage in discussions on social inequality, discuss implications of the findings for service providers, and finally we make suggestions for future research.