Pittaway Troy, Riggs Elisha, Dantas Jaya A R
Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentleigh, Western Australia, Australia.
Intergenerational Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Transcult Psychiatry. 2023 Apr;60(2):215-225. doi: 10.1177/13634615221105115. Epub 2022 Aug 15.
South Sudanese families have faced many hardships in the process of acculturation to Australian society. This has led to rapid family breakdown amongst refugees from South Sudan who live in Melbourne, Australia, and has created tension between families, the wider South Sudanese community, and authorities. This qualitative study explores how shifting dynamics of religious faith, the concept of family and cultural values impacts South Sudanese families and young people. The study consisted of 23 semi-structured interviews, three focus groups and two feedback forums, gathering data from South Sudanese youth aged 14 to 21 years, social workers, elders and parents from the South Sudanese community. Several themes were identified including the impact of intergenerational conflict, coping with new freedoms in Australia, the associated tensions these freedoms create within the South Sudanese community, and young people's conflict with religion. The patriarchal system that underpins the family structure of the South Sudanese culture is under significant strain as women and children are becoming aware of their rights, resulting in friction between men and women, parents and children. Male elders believed the embracing of freedom by women and children was at the core of family breakdown, leading to cultural erosion, and was the root of the problems experienced by the youth. The church as a traditional meeting place and a centre point for social inclusion within the South Sudanese community remains relevant as an important factor in social networking for parents and elders but lacks relevance for many South Sudanese youth.
南苏丹家庭在融入澳大利亚社会的过程中面临诸多困难。这导致生活在澳大利亚墨尔本的南苏丹难民家庭迅速解体，并在家庭、更广泛的南苏丹社区和当局之间造成了紧张关系。这项定性研究探讨了宗教信仰、家庭观念和文化价值观的动态变化如何影响南苏丹家庭和年轻人。该研究包括23次半结构化访谈、3个焦点小组和2个反馈论坛，收集了14至21岁的南苏丹青年、社会工作者、南苏丹社区的长者和家长的数据。研究确定了几个主题，包括代际冲突的影响、应对澳大利亚的新自由、这些自由在南苏丹社区内造成的相关紧张关系以及年轻人与宗教的冲突。支撑南苏丹文化家庭结构的父权制受到了巨大压力，因为妇女和儿童开始意识到自己的权利，这导致了男女之间、父母与子女之间的摩擦。男性长者认为，妇女和儿童对自由的接受是家庭解体的核心，导致了文化侵蚀，也是年轻人所经历问题的根源。教会作为南苏丹社区传统的聚会场所和社会包容的中心点，对于家长和长者的社交网络而言仍然是一个重要因素，但对许多南苏丹青年来说却缺乏相关性。
