NARRATIVES OF NAVIGATION: Refugee-Background Women's Higher Education Journeys in Bangladesh and New Zealand

Authors

  • Vivienne Ruth Anderson University of Otago
  • Tiffany Cone Asian University for Women
  • Naoko Inoue
  • Rachel Rafferty University of Derby, England.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11157/sites-id458

Keywords:

higher education, refugee-background students, internationalisation, Bangladesh, New Zealand

Abstract

Navigating higher education (HE) is a complex exercise for many students, including those from refugee backgrounds. Internationally, only a very small percentage of refugee-background students access HE. In a 2018 study, we explored 37 women students’ narrative accounts of international study in Bangladesh and New Zealand. Our participants included 10 women from refugee backgrounds. Theoretically, our research was a response to calls from critical scholars to consider the different circumstances that shape students’ international study, and the ethical and pedagogical implications of these for ‘host’ institutions. In this article, we explore the refugee-background women’s accounts of accessing, navigating, and thinking beyond HE, and their thoughts on factors that support refugee-background students’ success in HE. We argue for the need to: reject ‘grand narratives’ in relation to refugee-background students; acknowledge students’ ‘necessary skillfulness’ while supporting their capacity to navigate HE; and recognise refugee-background students’ commitments and influence beyond HE institutions.

Author Biographies

Vivienne Ruth Anderson, University of Otago

Vivienne holds a PhD in Education and Anthropology. She is a senior lecturer in higher education at the University of Otago Higher Education Development Centre.

Tiffany Cone, Asian University for Women

Associate Dean of Core Program and Professor of Cultural Anthropology is an anthropologist and filmmaker, and Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at the Asian University for Women, in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Tiffany has experience conducting ethnographic fieldwork and producing documentaries in East Asia, South Asia and the Pacific. Her primary research interests lie in the field of psychological anthropology and include cross-cultural conceptions of the self, practices of self-cultivation and meaning-making, processes of rupture and healing and Buddhist, Daoist and Sufi philosophy and practice.

Naoko Inoue

Dr Naoko Inoue graduated with a PhD from the University of Otago in 2019. Her doctoral studies explored the experiences of native English speakers working in Japanese universities, in relation to internationalisation policy in Japan. Currently, Naoko works as an affiliated researcher for Daito Bunka University, Tokyo, Japan.

Rachel Rafferty, University of Derby, England.

Dr Rachel Rafferty is a Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Derby, England. Rachel has a strong professional background in peacebuilding practice and a broad range of research and teaching experience in Peace and Conflict Studies. Her research interests include collective memory and reconciliation, transformation of intractable conflicts, peace education and youth resilience in the face of political violence.

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Published

22-12-2020

How to Cite

Anderson, V. R., Cone, T., Inoue, N., & Rafferty, R. (2020). NARRATIVES OF NAVIGATION: Refugee-Background Women’s Higher Education Journeys in Bangladesh and New Zealand. Sites: A Journal of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.11157/sites-id458

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 1 (2020)

Section

Articles

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