The Efficacy of Pre-Departure Cultural Orientation in Acculturation

Each year the United States resettles thousands of
refugees in the U.S. The goal of the U.S. refugee
program is to provide a durable solution to
suffering refugees while facilitating timely self-
sufficiency upon arrival. To accomplish this,
the government provides a cultural orientation
program in asylum countries for U.S. bound refugees.
This study explores the efficacy of pre-
departure cultural orientation in improving
employment success. Based in the acculturation
theory of John Berry, the study analyzes a sample of
15,737 Sudanese, Somali and Liberian refugees. The
study operationalizes employment outcomes as an
element of acculturation success, examining Berry s
theory that all refugees experience the same levels
of acculturation stress and success regardless of
ethnicity while simultaneously exploring his
suggestion that interventions should be provided
prior to departure.
This analysis is of interest to international
social workers and humanitarian workers interested
in the acculturation or integration process.
Experts in African studies, refugee studies and
scholars in displacement will find the work equally
beneficial.

Autorentext
Carla Nadeau, Ph.D., M.S.W., and B.A: Studied Displaced
Populations, Political Science and Women's Studies at The
Catholic University of America, Howard University, and The
University of Connecticut. Specialized in international
displacement for the U.S. Department of State while managing
refugee programs in the U.S., Europe and Africa.

Klappentext
Each year the United States resettles thousands of refugees in the U.S. The goal of the U.S. refugee program is to provide a durable solution to suffering refugees while facilitating timely self- sufficiency upon arrival. To accomplish this, the government provides a cultural orientation program in asylum countries for U.S. bound refugees. This study explores the efficacy of pre- departure cultural orientation in improving employment success. Based in the acculturation theory of John Berry, the study analyzes a sample of 15,737 Sudanese, Somali and Liberian refugees. The study operationalizes employment outcomes as an element of acculturation success, examining Berry's theory that all refugees experience the same levels of acculturation stress and success regardless of ethnicity while simultaneously exploring his suggestion that interventions should be provided prior to departure. This analysis is of interest to international social workers and humanitarian workers interested in the acculturation or integration process. Experts in African studies, refugee studies and scholars in displacement will find the work equally beneficial.