| Description |
The goal of the current qualitative study was to gain a better understanding of ethnic identity and educational and career goals among youth with refugee status in a leadership context. All participants were Somali and Muslim young adults who are involved in University Neighborhood Partners Hartland Youth Leadership Committee (YLC) program, which met weekly throughout the academic school year and focused on leadership skills, college preparation, and service activities. Focus groups, semistructured interviews, and participant observation were employed. . Questions and discussion topics for focus groups and semistructured interviews were developed from quantitative measures, including the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure-Revised (MEIM-R), the American Identity Measure (AIM), a motivation/engagement measure and Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale (PSSMS). The focus group discussions and interviews consisted of 10 participants, 5 male and 5 female. Results from the current study parallel the few recent studies that identify both the motivations and challenges youth with refugee status face in accessing higher education, as opposed to focusing on the mental health concerns. As well as moving the current literature forward on the topic, the study also lends to the recognition of more school and community programming aimed at this population with many potential vulnerabilities. Three major implications developed from the study: 1) need for more involvement of youth with refugee status in school activities, 2) need for more college preparation and afterschool programming for youth with refugee status, and 3) increased awareness of youth with refugee status in the United States. |
