Trajectories of ambivalence and trust: experiences of unaccompanied refugee minors resettling in Norway

Abstract

ABSTRACT Unaccompanied refugee minors are vulnerable due to previous and current experiences, yet often resourceful when resettling in a host country. Their experiences of ambivalence and trust in relationships with transnational family, peers and social workers have not been extensively researched. Using a qualitative longitudinal research design, we followed unaccompanied refugee youths during their first two years of resettlement in Norway. In our understanding, they struggled to overcome the tensions of being in-between what they could take for granted in the past and an indeterminate future. The changes the youths described were not initiated by or dependent on social work practice, but they have important implications for such practice. The youths developed capacity to assess trustworthiness of people and institutions, and they exerted more agency in developing new relationships. Our study suggests three interesting implications for social work practice and research: more emphasis should be put on (a) the youths as trust-givers, (b) how the youths assess trustworthiness, and (c) how social service organisations become trustworthy.