Author ORCID Identifier

0000-0003-3365-2817

Date of Award

8-31-2026

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Linguistics, Applied

First Advisor

Avary Carhill-Poza

Second Advisor

Panayota Gounari

Third Advisor

Raichle Farrelly, Anna De Fina

Abstract

Refugee-background women experience unique challenges while resettling in the U.S. as they navigate complicated transnational gender roles, education gaps, migration trauma, learning a new language, and literacy in the adaptation process during resettlement, which can derail the productive paths they are on. Therefore, ignoring refugee-background women’s unique experiences and failing to understand their identities prevents our society from doing social justice and creating a space for a smooth adaptation to the new context. Language plays a paramount role in identity formation, as it moves away from the belief that identity is an essential concept. For refugee-background women during resettlement, their identity articulation, shifts, and negotiations can be even more distinct since they come to a new place with an unfamiliar language and culture. Through a critical ethnographic study with eight refugee-background women in Boston, I explore: (1) What multiple shifting identities do refugee-background women articulate and negotiate during resettlement? (2) What discourses do refugee-background women draw on to negotiate their identities during resettlement? (3) How can refugee resettlement classrooms look like to support refugee-background women’s negotiated identities?

Data collection includes participant observation, my fieldnotes, three semi-structured interviews, artifacts, and participants’ journals. I am using a critical ecological perspective framework with the focus on identity and transnationalism to consider the effect of context (e.g., communities, resettlement, political context) on refugee-background women’s identity negotiation. Relying on an asset-based orientation towards former refugees, this project expands the understanding of adaptation for refugee and immigrant education during resettlement, English language classes, and adult education, which can consider the complexity and uniqueness of refugee-background women’s identity negotiation process.

Comments

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