Reintegration Experiences Research Articles

Unspeakable: reflections on relational approaches to research in post-conflict settings

ABSTRACT In this article, I offer reflections on a research project with former combatants who fathered children as the result of conflict-related sexual violence in northern Uganda. The research sought to understand how becoming a father shaped their decision making as soldiers, and reintegration experiences following demobilisation. What roles, if any, do they play in their children’s lives post-conflict, and what futures do they envision for them? I consider the ethical and methodological challenges of the research project through the concept of the unspeakable, what Judith Herman refers to as ‘traumatic events that take place outside socially validated reality.’ How does one come to know beyond what one can imagine, or that which is socially unrecognisable, such as the love of fathers associated with the perpetration of violent atrocities? I foreground a relational approach to the research encounter, one that fostered intimate, steadfast, and mutually giving relationships between the research team and participants, and opening pathways to explore intimacy between a father and child. I then reflect on what this methodology offers in terms of thinking beyond Western-centric conceptualizations of peacebuilding.

Stigma or Support? How Gender, Race, and Intersectionality Impact Perceptions of Exonerees

Little research has examined the gendered nature of wrongful convictions and how the intersectionality of gender and race impacts perceptions of exonerees and support for reintegration services. With two vignette experiments, we assess laypeople’s perceptions of female or male, Black or White exonerees (Study 1 and 2) who were wrongfully convicted due to official misconduct or a false confession (Study 2) in varying child-victim cases. When wrongfully convicted of a violent homicide (Study 1), White female exonerees were viewed less favorably than Black females and White males were viewed least favorably. However, in a no-crime Shaken Baby Syndrome case (Study 2), false confessors were viewed least favorably, but gender and race did not impact perceptions. We provide potential explanations for these findings and implications for exonerees’ reintegration experiences.

Experiences of community reintegration after obstetric fistula repair at Jean Paul 2 hospital, Conakry, Guinea.

The study explored women's experiences of their community reintegration process after surgical repair of obstetric fistula at Jean Paul 2 Hospital in Conakry, Guinea. The study examined how lived experiences of the disease impacted on the community reintegration of treated women. Using a qualitative research methodology, ten women participated after giving informed consent. Semi- structured interviews, lasting an average of 30 to 60 minutes were guided by an interview guide. The main themes covered were experiences with the disease, perceived social support and reintegration into the community. According to the participants, delays in obstetric care were the main cause of obstetric fistula. Socio- economic, cultural and medical factors such as early marriage, lack of education and poverty contributed to these delays. Even after surgical repair, women continued to endure the physical and psychosocial consequences of the disease, exposing them to stigma, discrimination and even rejection within the community. Study participants also reported a lack of social support. The little support perceived by these women concerned food and medical needs. This made the women dependent on their families. Reintegration into the community also proved difficult due to the persistent silence and stigma surrounding their situation. The study results highlight the complexity of the challenges faced by women with obstetric fistula in their journey towards integration. Effective management of obstetric fistula requires a holistic approach victims, their communities, health professionals and decision-makers in solving this problem. So, to improve women's reintegration after treatment for obstetric fistula, it is vital to raise awareness of the causes and consequences of the disease among the women concerned and their families, and to provide rapid access to emergency obstetric care, reinforce social support and set up economic empowerment programs.

A qualitative examination of the reintegration experiences of Australian Defense Force families

ABSTRACT The profound development that occurs during the first five years of a child’s life may contribute to military families with young children facing unique challenges during reintegration. Yet, little is known about the reintegration experiences of military families with young children, and less so from the perspectives of non-deployed parents and families outside of the US. In this qualitative study, we explored the reintegration experiences of Australian Defense Force (ADF) families with young children (five years and younger). Through written responses to open-ended prompts, ADF service members (n = 9) and their non-deployed spouses (n = 38) reflected on periods of reintegration and discussed their family’s adaption during this time. Using thematic analysis, six themes representing the reintegration experiences of these families were generated from the data. Four themes were generated from the combined experiences of service members and non-deployed parents, while a further two themes were generated from the experiences of non-deployed parents only. Relational and parenting challenges were at the forefront of reintegration experiences. These findings offer meaningful implications for practice and research to improve the quality of parent-child relationships and enhance outcomes for military families with young children during reintegration.

Foreign Experience of Territorial Reintegration: Implications for Russia

Foreign Experience of Territorial Reintegration: Implications for Russia

A temporal-agential lens on the reintegration experiences of Chinese early career STEM returnees

ABSTRACT Recently, there has been a massive trend of Chinese international PhD graduates returning to China’s research-intensive universities that are undergoing systemic reforms and aspire to flourish in the global higher education field. Taking into account this changing academic environment and field-specific mobility patterns, the study examines the case of 14 early career science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) returnees employed in one of such institutions. Informed by a temporal perspective on agency, we present their academic reintegration experiences negotiated on national/local and institutional levels and unfolding in multiple realms of their post-return lives. Findings derive three prominent themes concerning their encounter with Chinese work culture encompassing entrenched and emerging features, embeddedness into local academic communities of exchange, and navigation of transformative possibilities within the institutional framework of career excellence. Importantly, the study underscores that structures internal to the university can profoundly shape the way returnees leverage their cosmopolitan assets and the direction they take in envisioning their transnationally viable career paths.

Gender and citizenship in transitional justice: everyday experiences of reparation and reintegration in Colombia Gender and citizenship in transitional justice: everyday experiences of reparation and reintegration in Colombia , by Sanne Weber, Bristol, Bristol University Press, 2023, 248 pp., GBP 80.00 (paperback), ISBN 978-1529234121

Gender and citizenship in transitional justice: everyday experiences of reparation and reintegration in Colombia <b>Gender and citizenship in transitional justice: everyday experiences of reparation and reintegration in Colombia</b> , by Sanne Weber, Bristol, Bristol University Press, 2023, 248 pp., GBP 80.00 (paperback), ISBN 978-1529234121

Exploring the Re-integration Experience of Ex-prisoners in Debre Tabor City Administration

Exploring the Re-integration Experience of Ex-prisoners in Debre Tabor City Administration

Wounded, but not defeated: from incapacitated to reintegrated. Exploring reintegration of wounded/injured/sick military armed forces employees

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the reintegration process of Wounded, Injured or Sick Employees (WISE) of the Dutch Military Armed Forces.Design/methodology/approachThe research method is an exploratory, qualitative case study. A purposive sampling was drawn, including 10 WISE, and 6 reintegration stakeholders. A total of 16 interviews were conducted to explore the individual, organisational and socio-environmental factors that influence reintegration of WISE.FindingsFindings show the importance of involvement and participation of members of the social environment in the reintegration process. Findings show that the complexity of the plethora of WISEs' injuries and disabilities requires a more person-centric reintegration approach with personalized-customized provisions, rather than a policy-driven approach to the reintegration, in order to enhance the reintegration experience and to arrive at beneficial individual and organisational reintegration outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsThis cross-sectional study on a limited sample of WISE and reintegration stakeholders does not allow for making inferences about the long-term effects of the reintegration process on reintegration outcomes of the wider population of WISE. Future longitudinal research, encompassing a larger sample, could examine the long-term career, organisational and societal implications of reintegration of WISE within and outside the Military Armed Forces.Practical implicationsThis paper presents a “Wounded Warrior Workplace Reintegration Program”, aimed at deriving beneficial outcomes for all stakeholders involved in the reintegration trajectory.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature by presenting a Model of Occupational Reintegration of WISE that considers the factors at an individual, social-environmental, and institutional level as determinants of successful reintegration.

Social reintegration of fistula survivors in North Central Nigeria: A case for rehabilitation

Obstetric fistula remains one of the neglected forms of chronic maternal morbidity that occurs mainly in low- and middle-income countries. We explored the rehabilitation and reintegration experiences of 15 fistula survivors in North Central Nigeria. We employed a qualitative research design, guided by Constructivist Worldview, involving narrative interviewing technique in conducting in-depth interviews. Key benefits of rehabilitation reported by the participants included socioeconomic-financial empowerment and autonomy, improved social status, and freedom from self-isolation. Additionally, participants experienced positive psychological effects, such as increased self-worth and self-confidence. However, prolonged recovery periods and stigmatization issues were noted as barriers to successful reintegration post rehabilitation. On the other hand, the presence of family and community support, along with the resolution of stigma, were found to be facilitators of social reintegration. Considering the holistic benefits of rehabilitation, we recommend implementing a comprehensive care management program for fistula survivors to facilitate successful social reintegration.

Strengthening Social Support Networks for the Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Obstetric Fistula Patients in South-East, Nigeria

Obstetric fistula is a maternal health injury and disease affecting women in low-income resource countries of Africa including Nigeria. While there has been significant improvement in making treatment more accessible, the long-term needs of victims for social, emotional, psychological, and economic support after Obstetric fistula repairs have received little attention. In this study, we explored the social support networks of fistula survivors in South East Nigeria, in understanding how to strengthen their reintegration experiences. Using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, we extracted information from 56 participants comprising 34 fistula survivors/outpatients, 10 inpatients, and 12 caregivers at a National Obstetric Fistula Referral Facility in Southeast Nigeria. The generated data were analyzed thematically. Participants reported that support from families, church, and the government were drivers for their rehabilitation and reintegration; and social support was an important source of strength and hope in the health-seeking pathways of the women. Social support policy shift as well as community health promotion and grassroots awareness creation will help to accelerate the reintegration of women with OF into their communities after rehabilitation. Such policies will help strengthen Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and stimulate radical multidisciplinary interventions for the proper integration of fistula patients in Nigeria. To achieve the recommendations, there is a need for social work professional collaborations, hence, the study has practice implications for the social work service delivery in the Nigerian healthcare system. Future research may consider using a quantitative research design to have a general view of the respondents on strengthening social support networks on rehabilitation and reintegration of victims of obstetric fistula, this will create more room for better service provision, and also an advancement in social service research.

"Collapsing into Darkness": An Exploratory Qualitative Thematic Analysis of the Experience of Workplace Reintegration among Nurses with Operational Stress Injuries.

Nurses are engaged in an unpredictable and dynamic work environment where they are exposed to events that may cause or contribute to physical and/or psychological injuries. Operational stress injury (OSI) may lead to an extended time away from work or nurses leaving the profession altogether. A deliberate focus on the workplace reintegration phase of the mental health recovery process may lead to the increased retention of nurses in their profession. Prior to the creation and implementation of potential solutions to address workplace reintegration, it is imperative to explore the experiences and perceptions of nurses affected by OSI. This qualitative study aims to investigate the experiences and perceptions of nurses (N = 7) employed within a Canadian provincial healthcare system who have attempted workplace reintegration after being off of work with an OSI. Nurses were recruited via social media, unit emails, and word of mouth. Data were collected through recorded semi-structured interviews conducted over videoconferencing. Once transcribed, the data were thematically analyzed using an inductive approach. The resulting themes included (1) heroes to zeros, (2) changing the status quo, (3) connection is key, and (4) post-traumatic growth: advocacy and altruism. Study participants indicated both that nursing culture and a cumulation of events contributed to a need for a leave of absence from work and that a formalized process was desired by nurses to assist in returning to work. The development, implementation, and exploration of innovative policies, procedures, and initiatives to bridge the gap from clinical interventions to workplace reintegration are needed for nurses experiencing OSI. Further research is also needed regarding mental health impacts and appropriate resources to support nurses in their workplace reintegration process after experiencing psychological and/or physical injury.

Child soldiers in Nepal: re-conceptualizing reintegration and identity

Abstract This article contributes to a critical discussion of practices of child soldier reintegration and scholarship on the topic. Child soldiers' lived experience of reintegration is characterized by an interconnection between their child and adult worlds resulting from their conflict experience, social transition to adulthood and identity. The article provides a primary source of data based on 30 semi-structured interviews with former child soldiers, both boys and girls, from the former Communist Party of Nepal—Maoist. This article makes both practical and theoretical contributions. Firstly, reintegration practices assume that children and adults should be separated based on altogether different needs. However, a child soldiers' reintegration experience is framed by an important social interconnection between their child and adult worlds. Secondly, by theoretically engaging children as both a subject and an agent, this article contributes to a nuanced theorization of identity and agency that defies simplistic categories of victimhood and childhood. Finally, the article advances a new framework called ‘post-conflict identity’ that consists of three interconnected subject positions—victim, participant and political agent—to account for the complex ways that former child soldiers negotiate and respond to different life events and transitions across their conflict and post-conflict lives.

Exploring the barriers and facilitators to community reintegration for adults following traumatic upper limb amputation: a mixed methods systematic review

Purpose Traumatic upper limb amputation (ULA) is a profound injury impacting participation in activities of daily living, including those within the community setting. The objective of this work was to review literature exploring barriers, facilitators, and experiences of community reintegration in adults following traumatic ULA. Methods Databases were searched using terms synonymous with the amputee population and community participation. Study methodology and reporting were evaluated using McMaster Critical Review Forms, with a convergent segregated approach to synthesis and configuration of the evidence. Results A total of 21 studies met the inclusion criteria, including quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method study designs. Restoring function and cosmesis with prostheses facilitated work participation, driving and socialisation. Positive work participation was predicted by male gender, younger age, medium-high education level and good general health. Work role and environmental modifications were common, as were vehicle modifications. Qualitative findings provided insight into social reintegration from a psychosocial perspective, particularly negotiating social situations, adjusting to ULA and re-establishing identity. The review findings are limited by the absence of valid outcome measures and clinical heterogeneity across the studies. Conclusion There is a dearth of literature on community reintegration following traumatic upper limb amputation, indicating a need for further research with strong methodological rigour. Implications for Rehabilitation Upper limb amputation can restrict participation in activities in the community including work, socialisation, driving, leisure, and recreation. Clinicians can support community reintegration by addressing personal and environmental factors that both facilitate or inhibit participation in community activities. Prosthetics can be a facilitator for participation in community activities through the restoration of function and cosmesis. Clinicians can facilitate return to work through work modification recommendations or supported transitions to more suitable roles.

“…Our support is not enough”: a qualitative analysis of recommendations from informal caregivers of women with female genital fistula in Uganda

Informal caregivers remain critical across the care continuum for complex and stigmatized conditions including female genital fistula, particularly in lower-resource settings burdened by underfunded health systems and workforce shortages. These caregivers often provide significant nonmedical support in both community and facility settings, without pay. Despite their unique insight into the lived experiences of their patients, few studies center the perspectives of informal caregivers. We asked informal caregivers of women seeking surgical treatment of fistula in Kampala Uganda for their ideas about what would improve the recovery and reintegration experiences of their patients. Economic empowerment and community capacity building emerged as primary themes among their responses, and they perceived opportunities for clinical medicine and global health to strengthen strategies for fistula prevention through reintegration. Informal caregivers urged simultaneous investment in women’s economic status and community capacity to build fistula-related awareness, knowledge, and skills to improve inclusion of both fistula patients and their informal caregivers.

Returning Home: A Comparative Analysis of the Experiences of Sri Lankan First- and Second-Generation Refugee Returnees from India

Abstract Since the end of the civil war in 2009, Sri Lankan refugees in India have begun to return home slowly. This article examines the reintegration experiences of first-generation returnees vis-à-vis second-generation returnees who were either born in India or were small children at the time of migration and thus have limited memory of their lives in Sri Lanka before migration. Particular attention is given to challenges encountered, coping mechanisms adapted to overcome these challenges and returnees’ perceptions of their own return decision in hindsight. Using 13 in-depth case studies in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, we found that while the reintegration of first-generation returnees has been relatively uneventful, second-generation returnees, particularly those with Indian higher educational qualifications, faced a cluster of challenges upon their return involving financial, social, and bureaucratic aspects. Their coping mechanisms include accepting jobs beneath their qualifications, remigration to India, and maintaining strong bonds with fellow returnees and friends still in India. While challenges faced upon returning to Sri Lanka have led some returnees, particularly the young, to doubt their decision to return, others are content with their decision as they feel they have better rights in Sri Lanka.

Qualitative examination of homecoming experiences among active-duty military fathers during reintegration

Active-duty military fathers are frequently away from their families throughout their military career and are faced with readjusting to family and garrison life after each separation. For fathers of very young children, reintegration can have unique challenges due to the tremendous developmental progression occurring in early childhood and the impact of lengthy deployment separations. While much of the research on military families focuses on extreme negative experiences (e.g., reactions to war injuries and posttraumatic stress disorder), little is known about the common experiences of military families. This qualitative study explores the reintegration experiences of 15 active-duty U.S. Army fathers with a child under six in their home during the deployment. Homecoming experiences were coded and analyzed to distinguish four adjustment factors and five adaptation challenges. Most fathers described having mixed experiences during reintegration, with 93% referencing at least one factor making adjustment easier (e.g., communication with their spouse during deployment), and 80% referencing at least one factor making adjustment difficult (e.g., child’s initial hesitation or perceived rejection). Adjustment facilitators included: spending quality time with family, individual and family growth, quality communication during deployment, and the service member’s parental perspective taking. Challenges to adjustment included negative postdeployment reactions of children, difficulty readjusting to family and civilian life, and service member psychological changes. These findings expand our understanding of the reintegration experience of active-duty fathers with young children and identify common challenges and facilitators that can be addressed through culturally informed supportive services across the deployment cycle.

Countering Extremist Violence and Terrorism in Cabo Delgado: (How) Can Past Peace-Building and DDR Lessons Be of Use?

Radical Islamic insurgency and violent extremism have claimed over 5,250 lives and forcibly displaced at least 734,000 people in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique over the past six and a half years. Counter-insurgency efforts of the government to date have mainly focused on a military- and security-based response, paying less attention to the structural drivers of extremist violence, such as socio-economic inequalities, poor gov-ernance, historic ideological, ethnic and religious oppositions, and an incomplete peace-building and reconciliation process from the post-civil war period. The paper examines how Mozambique can learn from its past peace-building and Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) experience, build on the achievements while also correct the shortcomings, which have equally contributed to the rise of violence. It also analyses ways to implement a tailored, inclusive, and effective strategy of Countering and Pre-venting Violent Extremism (C/PVE), building on the past but linking it to present needs and future challenges. Addressing long-standing root causes, focusing on youth and their communities, and furthering reconciliation are just a few areas, among others, to focus on to ensure that a heavy military response does not undermine the prospects of long-term peace.

Blurring the Borders of Reentry: Socioeconomic Reintegration among Noncitizens Following Release from Immigration Detention

Abstract An established literature demonstrates that formerly imprisoned people experience barriers to finding work. However, no research has analyzed how noncitizens experience socioeconomic reintegration following imprisonment. Additionally, while we know many immigrants find work in co-ethnic labor markets, we know little about how these networks respond to individuals with a criminal record. I analyze 321 longitudinal, semi-structured interviews collected between 2013–2016 from 121 noncitizens who were detained by U.S. immigration authorities for six months or longer and then released back into their communities on bond. Results reveal a complex set of socioeconomic reintegration experiences that are shaped by ethnic, legal, generational, and gender stratification in immigrant integration outcomes more broadly. These findings have important implications as immigration laws have become increasingly punitive and intertwined with criminal laws.

Understanding Reintegration Phenomenon in Temporary Organizations: A Grounded Theory Study

The demand for success in the use of temporary organizations (TOs) within the functional hierarchies of permanent organizations (POs) requires serious attention in addressing tensions that emerge at the interface of the two organizations. Reintegration of the project workers back into their functional role in the PO after temporary project completion is one of these tensions. Although recently the experience of individual employees has received escalating interest in management research, studies dealing with reintegration phenomenon are scarce. This Grounded Theory study explores how the project workers of TOs experience their reintegration into the PO and resumption of their ordinary positions upon project completion and why they can have (un)successful reintegration experiences. The main result of this study is the empirically grounded identification of behavioral and contextual factors that affect reintegration. The theory is strengthened by providing a conceptual model that delineates how the project workers enact their reintegration by utilizing their behavioral resources and reflexivity and adaptability in interaction with the contextual factors. The model provides a theoretical basis for future empirical research on TOs as well as practical implications for practitioners and companies.