| dc.description.abstract | This study set out to analyze selected narratives of refugee children in order to achieve the following objectives: identify key issues addressed in refugee children's narratives, identify the images refugee children use to express themselves in their narratives and finally to establish refugee children's perception of peace, conflict and displacement as revealed through their narrative images. This was done by identifying, analyzing and interpreting recurrent images and themes in selected narratives of refugee children collected in Nairobi and its suburbs and K.akuma Refugee Camp.
The research was conducted in refugee schools and communities in Nairobi and Kakuma Refugee Camp. At least one teacher and one community member in each location was interviewed. This was followed by focus group discussions and recording of narratives from refugee children. The data analysis tools were derived from grounded theory and structuralism. Each narrative was coded using an adapted version of grounded theory procedure which consisted of open and axial/selective coding. Each narrative was then analysed according to Greimas' structural model which involved identifying the actants and the enunciation- spectacle.
Through this process the researcher was able to identify key themes, main structural patterns and key images in the narratives. The study used a theoretical framework derived from structuralism and sociological theory. Structuralism was productive because it enabled the analysis of the narratives in terms of their structural elements. The tenets of sociological theory, on the other hand, provided a context in which to investigate the narratives' response to and impact on social circumstances. A key finding of the study was that refugee children's narratives addressed issues that are directly related to the conditions of the their lives. This was expressed in the key themes which were identified as food/resource management and distribution, relationship between children and , adults and finally socio-economic relationships.
Another major finding was that key images were directly linked to the central themes. Peace images were identified as availability and equitable sharing of food; friendship and absence of quarrels while images of conflict were identified as lack or inequitable distribution of food; destruction of friendship and quarrels. Images of displacement were seen to be both negative and positive. Key positive images were availability of food, water and security, while the negative ones were lack of enough/nutritious food; running
away and separation from loved ones.
That the children presented living in Kenya through both ; positive and negative images indicated that they had an ambivalent attitude towards displacement. The main focus of this study was the use of narrative in the understanding of children's perception of peace, conflict and displacement, but the study findings indicate that refugee children's narrative is still a rich area for further research. One area that could be investigated further is how narrative could be used in conflict transformation. Yet another area that could be
investigated is gender perspectives in the narratives of refugee children. Further study could also be done on narratives of adult refugees in comparison to those of refugee children. Such studies could help in the understanding of the response of narrative to social reality. | en_US |
