Finding voice through narrative career interviews: Exploring the career development of young African females with refugee backgrounds The 15th European Congress of Psychology AMSTERDAM, 11-14 JULY 2017 Peyman Abkhezr: Queensland University of Technology Mary McMahon: The University of Queensland Kevin Glasheen: Queensland University of Technology Marilyn Campbell: Queensland University of Technology

The migration journey and career development People with refugee backgrounds: Non-homogeneous group Integration in host country and career development Career development as non-linear and multidimensional process The world of work undergoing dramatic changes Access to decent/meaningful work no longer a given for many Facing unexpected/unanticipated challenges when moving towards anticipated future directions “Agency in waiting” might gradually diminish after resettlement

Exploring career development after resettlement To make career development a useful component of the integration process: Acknowledge non-linearity and non-homogeneity of unique career stories Explore the reshaping and evolution of any previously constructed anticipated future directions after resettlement

Aim Using a constructivist/social constructionist framework A rich exploration of career stories Attention to: Lost, forgotten, marginalized, diminished voices Giving voice to their lived experiences A qualitative exploratory multiple case study method to explore the career stories of three young African females … who as a result of being forcibly displaced travelled together, spent years in refugee camps, and finally resettled in Australia In “A rich exploration of career stories”, WE MUST PAY “Attention to: Lost, forgotten, marginalised, diminished voices” THEREFORE, “giving voice to their lived experiences” BECOMES A PRIORITY IN THIS EXPLORATION, WE TEND TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT VOICES THAT HAVE BEEN AND CONTINUE TO BE INFLUENTIAL IN SHAPING the participants' ANTICPATED FUTURE CAREER PLANS

What informed the inquiry? Voice as a “polyphonic and complex channel of psychic expression” (Brown & Gilligan, 1993, p. 15) Traumatic experiences might have denied participants opportunities to access and manifest certain voices, leading to self-silencing and a sense of voicelessness Inquiring into various life-career stories and voices of participants: Narrative inquiry 1. What do we mean by voice? … 2. Therefore voices are influential in the choice of stories being accessed to be told …

Method: Narrative Inquiry Two semi-structured interviews with each participant Interview 1: an invitation to tell stories about their transitions Semi-structured questions exploring: Participants’ migration journey, educational and vocational backgrounds, family members’ educational/vocational backgrounds, role models, future career plans and current engagements

Method: Narrative inquiry Within the 1 week interval between the two interviews: First interview transcribed; reflexive process for interviewer Prepared potential areas of exploration for the next interview Met with one of the other members of the team, discussed/listened to the first interview and considered potential areas of exploration for the 2nd interview Prepared questions unique to each participant for 2nd interview

Data Analysis: Voice Centered Relational Analysis Voice Centred Relational Analysis (Brown & Gilligan, 1993; Mauthner & Doucet, 1998) Consistent with the constructivist and social constructionist framework of the research Acknowledges and explores voices, relationships and broader social- cultural contexts within the narratives of participants Keeps participants voices and stories alive and the priority within the analysis stage

Voice Centered Relational Analysis (VCRA) 4 stages: Stage 1: Listening for the plot Stage 2: Listening for I-Poems Stage 3: Listening for relationships Stage 4: Listening for placing participants within their social/cultural context Each stage was conducted separately; listening to the interviews and reading the text several times to achieve the specific aim of each listening stage The findings of the research are now presented and storied through the 4 stages of VCRA

Findings * Listening for the plot: Different starting and turning points Different emphasis on pre, within and post camp experiences The plots revealed transitioning in movement Relating to different people at different stages Prioritising different social, cultural and contextual stories, various formulations/transitions of anticipations about future careers appeared

Findings Listening for the plot: An example … because of my love for mathematics, teachers told me: “You are going to work in a bank”… I admired accountants … in movies or magazines, the way they dress and present themselves … I used to tell myself: that is what I want to be … I wanna be like her … someone else later said something about accountants … through [her] I realised who I am … working with her, has really helped and influenced me … I got the experience of running my own business (Asima).

Findings * Listening for I-Poems: External and restrictive voices I don’t have anyone / stood up and slapped me / we have to / I sat / marry me / you are already useless / you will not have kids / you will be useless / I will be useless / you will never get a chance to work /… made me to get married / … we can’t make it / told me / you can’t (Maysa) Internal and agentic voices I have learned / I really achieved / I came to camp / I speak / I never knew / I just spoke / I can hear / I can speak / you are in a process (Maysa)

Findings The bridging voices of resistance and perseverance I’m just focusing / me achieving my dream / I have not achieved / I will never help / I’m just going to work / what you have / you haven’t given up / you have gone [through?] so much in life / you will just have to / I have to achieve (Zafeera) Distinct voices advising voice: I took the risk / you never know / you may take the first risk / you must work again / you can do / you find out … read about me / read about my life / you come from a poor, refugee background / you never succeed / you come from that / you succeed more (Asima) Distinct voices: unique to each participant, but also played an important role for interacting with other voices

Findings * Listening for relationships: The realm of relational harmonies “I thought she was a person from nowhere … she was like my sister, my mother … we shared ideas but she was much older than me … through her, I realised my dreams and who I am” (Asima) The realm of relational challenges “You should not wait any longer [for marriage] … if you study, you will never work … going to school, it will never take you anywhere. You never get a chance to work because everything is for men (Zafeera) Harmonies: a range of supportive, guiding, encouraging and inspirational relationships Challenges: reflected relational challenges such as discouragement, oppression, constraint and being silenced

Findings * Listening for placing participants within their social/cultural context: Exposure to various dominant, macro/micro narratives, social structures and cultural norms and values of: Different African cultures/contexts e.g. restrictive dominant cultural narrative about the social participation of females In Africa, most of the times we ladies, we women, people and society don’t see us that we are so important … even if you study hard, you are not that important. You will still get married and take care of your kids. So you can’t do anything (Maysa). Western work behaviours (media and social networks) The relational domains

Findings The role of various social, relational, cultural and contextual factors for internalizing certain career influences and stories: A multilayered process of constructing internalizations. Participants' “sense of self” was in transition The vital role of relationships in these transitions: Metaphoric relationships Local relationships Global relationships Two transitions at the same time: 1. related to the construction of narratives of self in the maturation process and 2. related to narratives on self that is in transition through contexts

Implications of narrative inquiry Narrative inquiry facilitated the emergence of those silenced and marginalized voices Re-storying hope, resilience, past successes, achievements, relationships and role models reminded them of their sensed “agency in waiting”. The process of telling stories through narrative inquiry reminded them of their active participation in such stories An implication for practice: that narrative approaches to career counselling may be helpful for clients from refugee backgrounds. Reminded them that ///// … were not passively waiting for their current situation, but … active participants in such stories and reconstructions

Implications of narrative inquiry Finding and exploring voices through narrative inquiry Re-contextualization of “agency in waiting”

Asima (22) “ … I think it made me to be courageous … and I've learned a lot and when I went back home, I was like “Oh, so I can talk” … And I think it made me comfortable ... I was just smiling all the time, until my sisters were like: “Wow. These days we haven’t see you smile like this” … it made me feel like, there are people like you who are ready to listen to our stories and even if I didn't say everything, but I think we really need it. Because we have problems and we keep it to ourselves. We are just scared of sharing it … If I have this often, I will feel like I'm confident. I'm happy where I am and I don't have to think of negative things in my mind. I don't feel lonely again.” as for the overall process of the two interviews, after interviews were completed, we asked participants about their reflection of the experience, Asima said:

Peyman Abkhezr p.abkhezr@qut.edu.au Thank you! Peyman Abkhezr p.abkhezr@qut.edu.au