Date of Award
5-2016
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Community Development and Planning (CDP)
Department
International Development, Community and Environment
Chief Instructor
Laurie Ross
Second Reader
Ken MacLean
Keywords
refugee, unaccompanied, education, ethics of care, youth, minors
Abstract
The United States has resettled more than 2 million refugees since 1975 and approximately one third of them are children. Some of the children who arrive in the U.S. are unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs), meaning they arrive without a parent nor guardian. The absence of a parent figure heightens the adversities of escape and acculturation for URMs. However, due to the lack of available information on URM experiences, their physical, emotional and psychosocial needs in the U.S. are continually unmet. This paper considers the role that schools and teachers have as agents of care to foster positive growth and acculturation for URMs. Through an analysis of the challenges and needs of both URMs and teachers, the benefits of an ethics of care – supplemented with culturally responsive pedagogy – within classrooms is explored. By implementing an ethics of care, teachers are able to create comfortable, safe and supportive environments for URMs that motivate them through their acculturation process.
Recommended Citation
Meetran, Tina, "THE ETHICS OF CARE AND REFUGEE EDUCATION: PROMOTING CARING ENVRIONMENTS IN U.S. URBAN SCHOOLS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF UNACCOMPANIED REFUGEE MINORS" (2016). International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE). 13.
https://commons.clarku.edu/idce_masters_papers/13
Included in
Educational Methods Commons, International and Area Studies Commons, Urban Studies and Planning Commons