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Buildingbridgesbetweenchildrenandparentswithinfamiliesofunauthorizedimmigrants:

Anexampleofcommunity-basedpar<cipatoryac<onresearch

MarcoGemignani,Dept.dePsicologíaDuquesneUniversitygemignanim@duq.edu

HealthPsychologyResearchUnitUniversityofLausanne

April2016

Cantheactofre-memberingandtheembodimentandpracLceofbiographicmemory(bothauto-andcollecLve)contributetodevelopasharedlanguageanddiscoursewithinfamiliestoconnectpre-andpost-narraLvesandidenLLes?

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LANGUAGEasasymbolicandsharedsystemofsignifiers,signifieds,andreferents,butalsopracLcesandbodilyexperiences,whichareembeddedinaspecificrelaLonalcontextandhistoricalLmetoallowcommunicaLonandtoconstructspecificorders,structures,andthereforepossibiliLesandrealiLes.

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Theore<calframeworkanditsmainconcepts

1.  MemoryassocialacLon

2.  NarraLveTheoryandTherapy–  Trauma

3.  Ethnopsychiatryoftrauma

4.  Culturalandborderlandstudies–  CulturalidenLty

5.  CriLcalandparLcipaLvecommunity-basedresearch 4

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1)Memoryassocialac<on

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“OurwordsanddiscoursesnotalsoaimatrepresenLngobjectsor,ingeneral,theworld.TheyalsoconstructandcoordinatethepossibiliLesforhumanacLon”(p.90)

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2)Narra<veTheoryandTherapy

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M.White(2004):“WecanthinkofidenLtyasaterritoryoflife.Whenpeopleexperiencetrauma,(…)thereisaverysignificantshrinkingofthisterritoryofidenLty(…)anditbecomesverydifficultforpeopletoknowhowtoproceedinlife,toknowhowtogoforwardwithanypersonalprojectorwithanyplansforliving.What'smore,allofthethingsinlifethattheywouldusuallygivevaluetoarediminishedorreduced.”

“Trauma,byitsnature,breakstheconLnuityandsmoothflowofdailylife.Thisbreakisexpressedinthestoriestraumasurvivorstellaboutthemselvesandabouttheirlives.”

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3)Ethnopsychiatrycri<calrevisionoftheconceptandtherapyoftrauma

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4) Cultural Studies Chicanostudiesyborderlandstudies“Nepatla”CulturalidenLty

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InternalizaLonoftheborderè personalè familiar/relaLonal

ReificaLonoftheborder

MigraLonaseithereconomicorhumanitarianprocess

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5)Methodologyofcri<calandpar<cipa<veinves<ga<on

•  Frankfurtschool•  AcLonresearch&Community-basedParLcipatoryResearch

•  Servicelearning(learningthroughdirectcommunityservice)

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Theore<calframework

MemoryassocialacLonNarraLvetheoryandtherapyEthnopsychology/psychiatry

Cultural&BorderstudiesCriLcalandparLcipatorycommunity-

basedresearch

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+++++=Buildingbridges:

Memory,narra<ve,andpreven<on

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Migra<onStories•  Promotefamilydialogue•  Pilotstudy•  CentroLaLnoparalaFamilia– Ethicalconcerns

•  ArtandnarraLon(art-basedresearch)•  Undergraduatestudentsinpsychology(service-leaning)

•  8families:– Oneoftheparents(5mothersand3fathers)– 1-3childreneach:4-12y.o.– 3hours

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Theinternalborder“Lafrontera”assite(lieux)inwhichpowerisdeployedanddemonstrated.•  Power:possibiliLesofbecoming(subjecLvaLon)

•  poten*a(consLtuLvepowertodosomething)

AndALSO21

•  potestá(tocontrol,tobecomesubject,tosubjèct)

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Re-memberingandtalkingaboutmemoriesoftheborderanditscrossingentailadiscussionandanembodyingof:– Power– Knowledge(livedexperience)– Everydaylifeasanunauthorizedmigrant

Observa<ons•  Familiesaskedtorepeatthe“MigraLonStoriesandArt”event–  Opportunitytotalk–  Structured,–  Locatedinaspecificplace(whichisnot“home”)

•  Parentsreportedthat,followingthisexperience,anewcommongroundwasbuiltbetweenthemandtheirkids.

•  Specifically,children–  startedtotalkmoreSpanishathome–  AskedmoreopentocalltheirrelaLvesintheparents’homecountry

–  Sharedothermemoriesandexperiencesabouttheirbordercrossing.

–  ParentsVERYconcernedaboutpossiblenegaLveconsequencesofthisopenness

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Civicpar<cipa<on,advocacy,ac<veci<zenship

•  Focusgroups•  SenseofciLzenshipandempowermentfor– parents– children

•  RegulargroupmeeLngs•  ConsultaLonswithlawyers•  Workshoponhumanrights

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Re-authoringnarra<vesyiden<<es