"No God and no Norway": collective resource loss among members of Tamil NGO's in Norway during and after the last phase of the civil war in Sri Lanka

International Journal of Mental Health Systems

Eugene Guribye¹ 

[1] Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Department of Mental Health, P.O. Box 4404 Nydalen, N-0403 Oslo

关键词: refugees;    Norway;    coping;    resource loss;    disaster;    Tamils;   

Others  :  821925
DOI  :  10.1186/1752-4458-5-18

 received in 2011-05-16, accepted in 2011-08-17,  发布年份 2011

【 摘 要 】

Background

Studies on the mental health of refugees have tended to focus upon the impact of traumatic experiences in the country of origin, and acculturation processes in exile. The effects of crises in the country of origin on refugees living in exile have been little studied. This article examines how the final stages of the civil war in Sri Lanka in 2009 influenced members of pro-LTTE Tamil NGO's in Norway.

Method

Ethnographic fieldwork methods were employed within Tamil NGO's in the two largest cities in Norway between November 2008 and June 2011.

Results

The findings suggest that collective resources became severely drained as a result of the crisis, severely disrupting the fabric of social life. Public support from the majority community remained scarce throughout the crisis.

Conclusions

The study suggests that there is a need for public support to exile groups indirectly affected by man-made crises in their country of origin.

【 授权许可】

   
2011 Guribye; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

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