The stories of four Bosnian women

Abstract

This chapter presents the life stories of four Bosnian women refugees. Women in Bosnia are said to be able to cope with life difficulties, especially knowing they were living in a male-dominated society. Culturally, they have been brought up to be strong, confident, and able to manage changes in their lives. One of the points for further research could be to compare Bosnian men and women, and their similarities and differences in coping with dramatic life changes. The interviewed refugee women were asked to tell their stories, to share their personal experiences of being refugees. The interview questions had primary emphasis on inviting the participants to reflect upon their experiences of being refugees, and how they perceived counselling as professional help. Professional help, such as counselling, initially was seen in accordance with the traditional medical view they held in their native country.