Under the neoliberal blanket: Maternal strategies in the resettlement of Yazidi refugees in Calgary
Abstract
Notes
Community organizations: CCIS
Integration timeline: The first 2 years of their resettlement in Canada.
Open access: Yes
Future research / gaps identified:
Compare the efforts that key parties (e.g. refugees, resettlement workers, Family Hosts) make based on their gender and age to allow for a more nuanced understanding of resettlement experiences of high needs refugee groups like the Yazidis.
Key findings:
1) Maternal strategies are everyday acts of survival that adapt to circumstances on a daily basis to make resettlement under the Canadian neoliberal framework possible.
2) Maternal strategies encompass caregivers’ ability to maneuver and manage the gaps in service provision and programming within the resettlement field and can, therefore, take many shapes.
3) Findings showed 2 categories of maternal strategies that facilitated the resettlement of Yazidi refugees:
i) Yazidi refugee mothers navigate through everyday challenges and do mothering work under financial constraints, make Canada home for their children, and manage the absence of key figures and emotional/mental need.
ii) Extended female caregivers that took on maternal roles (e.g. CCIS staff, Family Hosts), acting as additional support, community networks and ‘family’ outside of the home.
Key populations: Yazidi women refugees who now live in Calgary
Key recommendations:
1) Reevaluate resettlement practices and the impact of gender and/or age in resettlement work across different parties (e.g. settlement workers, Family Hosts).
2) Gain a deeper understanding of the role and impact of Family Hosts on the resettlement process.
3) Emphasize in resettlement programs and policies that personal relationships and social networks as a key part of the process, and should be invested in.
Location: Calgary, AB