Description |
Three families from Somalia and one family from Sudan participated in this study. All participants were single mothers whose husbands were pronounced missing during the civil wars in Somalia and Sudan. The qualitative study gathered data about the parent-school relationship using semi-structured interviews and field notes. Regardless of differences in age, country of origin, household size, and other characteristics, three themes emerged: cultural capital, social capital, and lack of formal education. All mothers demonstrated high expectations for their children such as successful completion of high school followed by a college education. The lack of previous formal education and illiteracy in mothers' native language were identified as the main causes of parents' slow integration into a new environment and an obstacle in parent-teacher communication. The blame for students' low achievement in schools is usually related to the language barrier, inadequate schooling, and low parent involvement in their children's education. There is a very limited amount of research that recognizes refugees' culture and parent-children bond as an asset. I believe the findings from this study will help all local community organizations and educators better understand the role of the family in the process of refugee youth's adaptation to the American school system. |