Being A Refugee [op]: Learning And Identity: A Longitudinal Study Of Refugees In The Uk

__Being a Refugee__ offers a picture of the lives of refugees before and after they arrive in the UK. The people featured are all highly qualified professionals and, like all refugees, their personal stories are shaped by their unique biographical, cultural and social backgrounds. Yet each narrative is lived within the broad social template of what it means to be a refugee in contemporary Britain. And their experiences as refugees have significant implications for policy and practice. Through life history and longitudinal study, __Being a Refugee__ powerfully challenges the stereotyped images of refugees. It shows how and what the refugees learn, and the strategies they adopt as they build viable and respected identities for themselves in a new social and cultural space. The book provides an overview of policy in relation to asylum and immigration issues and reveals the often unintended and contradictory impact of policy on refugees’ lives. Essential reading for policy makers, professionals and everyone concerned with refugee welfare, it is also invaluable for academic researchers with an interest in lifelong learning, higher education, life history, identity and migration studies. Cover 1 Contents 8 Acknowledgements 12 1 Refugee narratives 14 2 The changing context of migration and the UK Government's policy response 32 3 Perspectives on learning 46 4 Maryam: the Iraqi teacher's story 60 5 Patricia: the Zimbabwean teacher's story 74 6 Farideh: the Iranian nutritionalist's story 86 7 Savalan: the Iranian entrepreneur's story 96 8 Alan: the Iranian civil engineer's story 108 9 The role of asylum policy and public discourses in learning and identity processes 120 10 Learning to live: informal and formal experiences of learning 130 11 Conclusions 142 Bibliography 158 Index 168 This Is A Longitudinal Study Of Highly Qualified Professionals, Before And After They Arrive As Refugees In The Uk. It Powerfully Challenges The Stereotyped Images Of Refugees, Showing How And What They Learn As They Build Viable And Respected Identities For Themselves In A New Social And Cultural Space.