Young Single Men Research Articles

성별에 따른 미혼 청년의 결혼의향 요인 연구

Objectives This study analyzed the factors affecting the marriage intention of unmarried young people by gender. Methods For this purpose, 1,691 unmarried young people (947 men, 744 women) between the ages of 18 and 34 conducted by the Korea Youth Policy Institute were selected as research subjects, and personal characteristics, parental factors, workplace factors, and policy factors were used as independent variables. Marriage intention was selected as the dependent variable. Results The main research results are: First, personal factors had a significant effect only on men in terms of age (the younger the age, the higher the intention to marry). Second, parental factors had a significant effect on the mother's education level only for men (the higher the mother's education level, the higher the intention to marry). Third, as for workplace factors, job welfare level and work values had a significant effect only on women (job The lower the welfare level and the higher the value of work, the higher the intention to marry). Fourth, in terms of poli-cy factors, only men had a significant effect on training/career policy and childbirth/childcare policy (the higher the training/career policy, the higher the childbirth/childcare policy, the higher the intention to marry). Conclusions As there is a clear difference between men and women in the intention to marry among unmarried young people, customized support should be provided for each factor that can increase the intention to marry. Through this, the government and local governments should carry out various promotional activities and activate programs for single young men and women.

Étude nationale française du profil des patients hospitalisés en unité pour malades difficiles

The ten French psychiatry high security care units (Unité pour Malades Difficiles : UMD) are the only forensic institutions in the country to provide care for dangerous and/or difficult patients (homicide, acts of barbarity, sexual assault, cannibalism, pyromania…). They benefit from intensive care protocols and high security measures. In this first epidemiological multicentric descriptive study in French history including 418 violent and homicidal patients, medico-judiciary and social characteristics of the standard UMD patient are described. This standard patient is a young single man, with a criminal record and from an underprivileged background, suffering from treatment-resistant schizophrenia with strong delusional symptoms. He has a weak compliance to treatment, low insight, a history of drug abuse and is admitted for severe violence against others and in particular against caretakers or for homicidal act. The study's secondary goal is to revisit the risk factors of high violence described in medical literature and to reveal new ones (cultural uprooting, parental psychopathology, homelessness, perverse sadistic behavior, aggressive behavior a month prior the violent acting out, resistance to antipsychotic drugs, treatment discontinuation), particularly in the homicidal patient cohort. This study should enable clinicians to evaluate dangerousness and to offer better medical care and preventive measures against violence.

Choosing annuities for a home reversion: the case of the French viager market

PurposeThe authors analyzed annuitization preferences when retired people extract cash from their homes. Based on 2,608 viager (home reversion) transactions, the authors study the relations between annuitization, negotiation, cash extraction, age, gender and marital status.Design/methodology/approachA database comprising 2,608 transactions is used. The three-stage least squares (3SLS) and moderation models are implemented, with a focus on potential adverse selection issues.FindingsThe authors found that difficulties in selling a property generally result in increased annuitization. The single men's group endures gender inequality, suffering from limitations in their possibility to extract wealth and annuitize, as well as an additional price discount during negotiation. Young single men, as compared to young single women and young couples, must consent to a substantial price reduction if they prefer a high down payment and limited price reductions if they prefer annuities. Elderly single men, as compared to young single men, have less capacity to negotiate, a concern that is reinforced when they prefer annuities.Originality/valueAmong the home equity conversion products, the academic real estate literature has intensely analyzed the reverse mortgage. The viager is distinct from a mortgage in that it consists of the true sale of a property without bank involvement. This product deserves reinforced attention in an aging continental Europe. It exists in numerous countries (France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, etc.).

PrEP retention predictors among key populations in urban areas of Zimbabwe — a machine learning approach

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) success depends on adherence and hence retention in care. It is vital to find factors that affect PrEP retention to make this HIV-prevention method successful. The main objectives of this study were to identify the major determinants of PrEP retention at six months from day of initiation and to determine PrEP retention clusters. Data of people who were initiated on PrEP care at Population Services International sites between 2017 and 2019 in Zimbabwe were used. Determinants of PrEP retention were identified using multivariable logistic regression and partitioning around medoids (PAM) cluster analysis to determine the number and composition of PrEP retention clusters. Significant PrEP retention determinants were found to be population type, sex, marital status, employment type, age and education level. Female sex workers were most likely to stay on PrEP compared to other users. We found that PrEP users could be grouped into three risk clusters: cluster 1 consisted of married adult males who are high-risk individuals; cluster 2 consisted of the young single men who have sex with men (MSM); and cluster 3 consisted of adult women who are separated or divorced and employed as sex workers. The retention rates were 32%, 24% and 44% for clusters 1 to 3 respectively. We conclude that adults, female sex workers, high-risk individuals, women, people without or with little education and sex workers stay on PrEP better than youths, MSM, men and educated and employed individuals.

Gender roles among Syrian refugees in resettlement contexts: Revisiting empowerment of refugee women and needs of refugee men

This study focuses on the impact of resettlement contexts on gender roles among Syrian refugees in Turkey and the United States. Four semi-structured group interviews (N = 25) were conducted to understand how Syrian refugee women and men recast gender roles in their new environments, find new ways to adapt, and exercise agency. Gender roles are rearranged in culturally meaningful ways that do not necessarily follow commonly-held assumptions regarding the process of empowerment, particularly the view that paid employment is the major path to agency and freedom from oppression for refugee women. Findings emphasize the roles of local policies, resources, and supports in shaping gender dynamics and suggest that contextual factors, culturally attained gender roles, and lived experiences must be recognized to develop gender-sensitive interventions for Syrians. The findings also support interventions that are inclusive of men, especially young single men, and those that maximize social opportunities and eliminate discrimination.

Correlates of Engagement Within an Online HIV Prevention Intervention for Single Young Men Who Have Sex With Men: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundDigital HIV interventions (DHI) have been efficacious in reducing sexual risk behaviors among sexual minority populations, yet challenges in promoting and sustaining users’ engagement in DHI persist. Understanding the correlates of DHI engagement and their impact on HIV-related outcomes remains a priority. This study used data from a DHI (myDEx) designed to promote HIV prevention behaviors among single young men who have sex with men (YMSM; ages 18-24 years) seeking partners online.ObjectiveThe goal of this study is to conduct a secondary analysis of the myDex project data to examine whether YMSM’s online behaviors (eg, online partner-seeking behaviors and motivations) are linked to participants’ engagement (ie, the number of log-ins and the number of sessions viewed).MethodsWe recruited 180 YMSM who were randomized into either myDEx arm or attention-control arm using a stratified 2:1 block randomization. In the myDEx arm, we had 120 YMSM who had access to the 6-session intervention content over a 3-month period. We used Poisson regressions to assess the association between YMSM’s baseline characteristics on their DHI engagement. We then examined the association between the participants’ engagement and their self-reported changes in HIV-related outcomes at the 3-month follow-up.ResultsThe mean number of log-ins was 5.44 (range 2-14), and the number of sessions viewed was 6.93 (range 0-22) across the 3-month trial period. In multivariable models, the number of log-ins was positively associated with high education attainment (estimated Poisson regression coefficient [β]=.22; P=.045). The number of sessions viewed was associated with several baseline characteristics, including the greater number of sessions viewed among non-Hispanic YMSM (β=.27; P=.002), higher education attainment (β=.22; P=.003), higher perceived usefulness of online dating for hookups (β=.13; P=.002) and perceived loneliness (β=.06; P=.004), as well as lower experienced online discrimination (β=–.01; P=.007) and limerence (β=–.02; P=.004). The number of sessions viewed was negatively associated with changes in internalized homophobia (β=–.06; P<.001) and with changes in perceived usefulness of online dating for hookups (β=–.20; P<.001). There were no significant associations between the number of log-ins and changes in the participants’ behaviors at the 90-day follow-up.ConclusionsDHI engagement is linked to participants’ sociodemographic and online behaviors. Given the importance of intervention engagement in the intervention’s effectiveness, DHIs with personalized intervention components that consider the individuals’ differences could increase the overall engagement and efficacy of DHIs.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02842060; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02842060.

A Latent Profile Analysis of Online Dating Patterns Among Single Young Men Who Have Sex with Men.

Despite the increased use of geosocial networking applications for finding sexual partners among young men who have sex with men (YMSM), few studies have examined the intricate patterns of online dating behaviors. In order to advance understanding of online dating patterns among YMSM, various factors, including how frequently and how much time is spent within partner-seeking sites, need to be examined concurrently. Therefore, we used latent profile analysis to identify online dating patterns and logistic regressions to examine their associations with sexual behaviors and relationship characteristics among single YMSM (N = 180; ages 18-24). We found three online dating patterns: discouraged users (N = 93, 52%), date seekers (N = 67, 37%), and instant lovers (N = 20, 11%). Discouraged users were less likely to seek sexual sensational activities, while date seekers were more likely to seek sexual sensational activities. Moreover, instant lovers were less likely to pursue committed romantic relationships, while they reported a higher number of condomless anal intercourse. Given that online dating patterns are not homogeneous, HIV prevention interventions may benefit from tailored approaches based on YMSM's different online dating profiles.

Epidemiological Study of Mortality Caused by Road Accidents in the Intensive Care Unit of Besat Educational-medical Hospital in Hamadan

Introduction: Road accidents are one of the causes of death and it's important to investigate the epidemiological indicators in this context. In this regard, this study aimed to determine the epidemiological causes of road accident mortality in the intensive care unit of Besat Educational-medical Hospital in Hamadan during Nowruz Holidays 2018. Material and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, data of the patients died for 13 days in Nowruz Holidays in the intensive care unit of Besat Hospital in Hamadan, by census method, was extracted from the medical records of patients by using a checklist from a researcher-made questionnaire. Data were analyzed by Fisher's exact test and SPSS 21 software. Results: Of the 28 Patient admitted to the intensive care unit,16 patients died. Most deaths were in the third decade of life, among single men, with a self-employment job, with diploma education level or cycle education level, with more than 10 days of hospitalization and in the night shift. Based on the results, most of the dead persons were rider (81.25%), suffered head trauma (50%), with head surgery (56.25%), without any underlying illness (93.75%) and without successful experience of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (87.5%). There were no statistically significant differences between the variables and mortality rate (P value &gt; 0/05). Conclusion: Young single men with low level of education are a wide range of road accidents victims. Therefore, it seems it's necessary to reduce mortality from these accidents, health planning such as traffic culture training and driving rules, by using social media, should focus on learning and improving the level of community awareness, especially in this group of people.

Identifying groups of people with similar sociobehavioural characteristics in Malawi to inform HIV interventions: a latent class analysis.

IntroductionWithin many sub‐Saharan African countries including Malawi, HIV prevalence varies widely between regions. This variability may be related to the distribution of population groups with specific sociobehavioural characteristics that influence the transmission of HIV and the uptake of prevention. In this study, we intended to identify groups of people in Malawi with similar risk profiles.MethodsWe used data from the Demographic and Health Survey in Malawi (2015 to 2016), and stratified the analysis by sex. We considered demographic, socio‐behavioural and HIV‐related variables. Using Latent Class Analysis (LCA), we identified groups of people sharing common sociobehavioural characteristics. The optimal number of classes (groups) was selected based on the Bayesian information criterion. We compared the proportions of individuals belonging to the different groups across the three regions and 28 districts of Malawi.ResultsWe found nine groups of women and six groups of men. Most women in the groups with highest risk of being HIV positive were living in female‐headed households and were formerly married or in a union. Among men, older men had the highest risk of being HIV positive, followed by young (20 to 25) single men. Generally, low HIV testing uptake correlated with lower risk of having HIV. However, rural adolescent girls had a low probability of being tested (48.7%) despite a relatively high HIV prevalence. Urban districts and the Southern region had a higher percentage of high‐prevalence and less tested groups of individuals than other areas.ConclusionsLCA is an efficient method to find groups of people sharing common HIV risk profiles, identify particularly vulnerable sub‐populations, and plan targeted interventions focusing on these groups. Tailored support, prevention and HIV testing programmes should focus particularly on female household heads, adolescent girls living in rural areas, older married men and young men who have never been married.

Inclusive shelter provision in Mogadishu

This article is based on a research project led by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) on shelter in East Africa. It explores Mogadishu’s history, political settlements and variations in housing to inform more inclusive, affordable shelter interventions. MAIN FINDINGS: • Connection between urban poverty and internal displacement. Mogadishu’s informal settlements are inhabited by people displaced from other regions and poor urban residents. As the urban poor live in areas with high tenure insecurity and can be evicted without notice, there are migration flows both into the city and within Mogadishu itself. • Role of informal networks and relations. As access to land and shelter is governed by a complex system of formal and informal rules, having contacts with powerful actors in the informal settlements is key to finding shelter. • Vulnerabilities of women, people with disabilities, and young single men. In Somalia’s patriarchal society, the male-headed family is the fundamental social unit; people who fall outside this category are heavily disadvantaged when accessing housing.

Cooking chicken at home: Common or recommended approaches to judge doneness may not assure sufficient inactivation of pathogens.

About one third of foodborne illness outbreaks in Europe are acquired in the home and eating undercooked poultry is among consumption practices associated with illness. The aim of this study was to investigate whether actual and recommended practices for monitoring chicken doneness are safe. Seventy-five European households from five European countries were interviewed and videoed while cooking chicken in their private kitchens, including young single men, families with infants/in pregnancy and elderly over seventy years. A cross-national web-survey collected cooking practices for chicken from 3969 households. In a laboratory kitchen, chicken breast fillets were injected with cocktails of Salmonella and Campylobacter and cooked to core temperatures between 55 and 70°C. Microbial survival in the core and surface of the meat were determined. In a parallel experiment, core colour, colour of juice and texture were recorded. Finally, a range of cooking thermometers from the consumer market were evaluated. The field study identified nine practical approaches for deciding if the chicken was properly cooked. Among these, checking the colour of the meat was commonly used and perceived as a way of mitigating risks among the consumers. Meanwhile, chicken was perceived as hedonically vulnerable to long cooking time. The quantitative survey revealed that households prevalently check cooking status from the inside colour (49.6%) and/or inside texture (39.2%) of the meat. Young men rely more often on the outside colour of the meat (34.7%) and less often on the juices (16.5%) than the elderly (>65 years old; 25.8% and 24.6%, respectively). The lab study showed that colour change of chicken meat happened below 60°C, corresponding to less than 3 log reduction of Salmonella and Campylobacter. At a core temperature of 70°C, pathogens survived on the fillet surface not in contact with the frying pan. No correlation between meat texture and microbial inactivation was found. A minority of respondents used a food thermometer, and a challenge with cooking thermometers for home use was long response time. In conclusion, the recommendations from the authorities on monitoring doneness of chicken and current consumer practices do not ensure reduction of pathogens to safe levels. For the domestic cook, determining doneness is both a question of avoiding potential harm and achieving a pleasurable meal. It is discussed how lack of an easy “rule-of-thumb” or tools to check safe cooking at consumer level, as well as national differences in contamination levels, food culture and economy make it difficult to develop international recommendations that are both safe and easily implemented.

Time-temperature profiles and Listeria monocytogenes presence in refrigerators from households with vulnerable consumers

A transdisciplinary observational study, coupled with a web-based survey, was conducted to investigate refrigerated storage of food, in five European countries. The investigated consumer groups in this study were: young families with small children and/or pregnant women, elderly people, persons with an immunodeficient system, and young single men. The refrigerator temperature was monitored for approximately two weeks using a temperature data logger. Variables such as country, income, age of refrigerators, education, living area, refrigerator loading practices had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on the overall average fridge temperature, whereas consumers' practices showed a significant influence (p < 0.05) on registered temperature values. Compared to temperatures inside the fridges belonging to young families and young single men group, the temperatures inside refrigerators belonging to elderly was in the temperature danger zone (5–63 °C). The lowest temperatures were recorded in UK consumers’ refrigerators, whereas the highest were in French households. Presence of Listeria monocytogenes was confirmed in three refrigerators out of 53 sampled (two in Romania and one in Portugal). The most vulnerable category to food safety risks is represented by elderly persons with low education, unaware of safe refrigeration practices and the actual temperature their fridges are running.

Early Results From the ‘Diggers to Veterans’ Longitudinal Study of Australian Men who Served in the First World War. Short- and Long-Term Mortality of Early Enlisters

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; As the world marks the centenaries of the First World War, we still know remarkably little about the life course effects of military service. This paper reports on the first iteration of a cradle-to-grave dataset of men who enlisted and served overseas in the First World War from the state of Victoria, Australia. It examines mortality during military service and in civilian life and finds that mortality in both cases was strongly correlated with individual characteristics. Tall men and young single men were more likely to die in the war. In civilian life, mortality followed closely the pattern for Australian men, and was again highly correlated with individual characteristics and social class.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Make Love, Not War: Do Single Young Men Cause Political Violence?

AbstractThis article calls into question the theory that being single drives young men to commit political violence. It finds that, while the proportion of young men in a country has a statistically significant impact on the level of political violence in the country, whether or not these men are married has no additional impact. The result may appear to contradict the individual-level evidence that shows that young, unmarried men commit the overwhelming majority of political violence. Rebels and terrorists, however, make up only a small part of a country's population. If participating in political violence caused young men to be single, this would have a negligible impact on a country's proportion of single young men, thereby explaining why marital status is uncorrelated with political violence at the national level. It would also explain why the individual-level evidence shows that most terrorists and guerillas are single.

Condom use at last sex by young men in Ethiopia: the effect of descriptive and injunctive norms

BackgroundCondoms are an important prevention method in the transmission of HIV and sexually transmitted infections as well as unintended pregnancy. Individual-level factors associated with condom use include family support and connection, strong relationships with teachers and other students, discussions about sexuality with friends and peers, higher perceived economic status, and higher levels of education. Little, however, is known about the influence of social norms on condom use among young men in Ethiopia. This study examines the effect of descriptive and injunctive norms on condoms use at last sex using the theory of normative social behavior.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was implemented with 15-24 year old male youth in five Ethiopian regions in 2016. The analytic sample was limited to sexually active single young men (n = 260). Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted. An interaction term was included in the multivariate model to assess whether injunctive norms moderate the relationship between descriptive norms and condom use.ResultsThe descriptive norm of knowing a friend who had ever used condoms significantly increased respondents’ likelihood of using condoms at last sex. The injunctive norm of being worried about what people would think if they learned that the respondent needed condoms significantly decreased their likelihood to use condoms. The injunctive norm did not moderate the relationship between descriptive norms and condom use. Young men who lived closer to a youth friendly service (YFS) site were significantly more likely to have used condoms at last sex compared to those who lived further away from a YFS site.ConclusionsSocial norms play an important role in decision-making to use condoms among single young men in Ethiopia. The interplay between injunctive and descriptive norms is less straightforward and likely varies by individual. Interventions need to focus on shifting community-level norms to be more accepting of sexually active, single young men’s use of condoms and need to be a part of a larger effort to delay sexual debut, decrease sexual violence, and increase gender equity in relationships.

In the Mists of Time: Searching for traces of the first settlement of four Southland families

During the 1870s, the Provincial government terminated grazing licences on large runs in Eastern Southland and West Otago. In a series of land sales, this land was surveyed into 200-acre farms and auctioned to prospective farmers on a delayed repayment scheme. 150 years later, this research searches for traces of the first buildings from this time. It focuses on the housing of eight ancestors, great grandparents of the author, who settled within a 30 km radius in the districts of Waikoikoi, Maitland, Waikaka Valley and Otama. Information was gathered from National Library collections, district and family history books, old photographs and maps, 2018 surveys of the homestead sites and interviews with cousins still living in the area. In 1870, the rolling hills were covered with open tussock. Found artefacts suggest that Māori camped in the area during expeditions to gather food from Mataura river sites. The new settlers, often in extended family groups, travelled by horse and dray overland from Dunedin or Bluff. The Dunedin to Gore railway did not open until 1879. Their first shelters were camp-sites and wagon tilts lined in felt. Soon after they arrived, established families were able to fund the building of modest timber houses often constructed by carpenter uncles and brothers. Young single men "bached" in sod and/or timber huts until they married. One great grandmother spent childhood years "comfortably" in a "half-sod and half-timber shepherd's cottage" but her teenage years at the "Big House," the 20-room homestead on the Otama Station. It was built in 1867 of "white pine" from the forest at Tapanui. By the turn of the twentieth-century, simple cottages had received additional rooms, porches and decorative verandahs or they were upstaged by new grand timber villas. In 2018, only one homestead, originally named Hopetoun, is still standing although it is substantially altered. Family photographs, usually of the front façade, provide a limited perspective only. Memoirs and local histories offer a few more clues. While buildings from the 1870s exist, historical touchstones in these country districts are more elusive.

Make Love, Not War: Do Single Young Men Cause Political Violence?

The theory that single young men drive terrorism and civil war has been repeated in academic articles, diplomatic dispatches and the popular press. This paper tests the theory and finds that while the proportion of young men has a statistically-significant impact on political violence, whether or not these men are married has no additional impact. The result may initially appear to contradict the individual-level evidence that shows that the overwhelming majority of political violence is committed by young, unmarried men. However, if being a terrorist or a guerrilla caused men to be single, then this would explain why most terrorists and guerrillas are single. Moreover, given that terrorists and guerrillas make up only a small fraction of the population, if participating in political violence caused them to be single then this would have a negligible impact on a country’s proportion of single young men. As a result, the effect of young men would be the same as that of single young men. This theory would therefore explain both the individual-level evidence that those who participate in violence are single as well as the country-level regression results that the effect of single young men is identical to that of young men.

Answering the Call to Serve their (Acadian) Nation: The Volunteers of the 165th Battalion, 1911-1917

Little has been written about Acadian volunteers to the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during the First World War. This article offers a detailed profile of the volunteers of the 165th (Acadian) Battalion, created as part of a larger national initiative in 1916 to boost recruiting by appealing to specific regional and ethnic identities. However, recruiting for this unit fell short, as it did across Canada in 1916, and it was disbanded in 1917. The 885 volunteers were largely drawn from Francophone counties in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Longitudinal analysis linking them to their military records and the 1911 Canadian Census provides detailed information about their origins, occupations, and family situations. The volunteers were broadly representative of Acadian rural society, but disproportionately drawn from highly mobile and single young men from southeastern New Brunswick who had moved to Moncton in search of work. Comparing them to volunteer members of the 22nd (French Canadian) Battalion and the CEF as a whole provides new insights into the difficulties of voluntary recruitment for the CEF.

Forensic psychiatric expertise of patients with anti-social personality

IntroductionEpidemiological studies in the general population confirm the indisputable link between criminological dangerousness and mental disorders especially anti-social personality, which increase clearly the prevalence of violent behavior.AimTo dress socio-demographic, clinical and medico-legal profile of offenders, with anti-social personality, in forensic psychiatric examination.MethodsIt was a retrospective study of a series of 195 patients with antisocial personality (DSM-IV). They were examined, during the period, from 2009 to 2013, on the occasion of a penal expertise in the department of psychiatry C in the Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia.ResultsThe mean age of patients at the offense moment, was 29.58 years, with a sex ratio of 26.85. Among them, 66.2% were single, 49.2% had a primary school level and 41% had no profession. Between the patients, 58.5% lived in urban area and 38.5% in a high crime area. Addictive behaviors were reported in 80% of cases. Self-injury behaviors were noted in 33.8% of offenders. Psychiatric histories were reported in 66.2%, and 25.6% of patients have been already hospitalized in psychiatry department. 64.1% had already committed forensic acts, and 36% had been imprisoned at least once. The current offense was: homicide 16.9%; sexual offense 9.2%; violence 18.5%; theft 30.2%. The offense was related to impulsivity (40%) or utilitarian purpose (39%).ConclusionA young single man with no profession, a limited educational attainment and a history of impulsive behaviors, such is the profile most frequently encountered among offenders with anti-social personality. Interventions for reducing forensic behavior should focus on those social and clinical characteristics.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Humanitarian Pluralism: The Arctic Passage in an Age of Refugees

As I write, the Syrian migrant crisis is boiling over and the Arctic Circle has become the latest precarious route desperate Syrian refugees are braving in their pursuit of security and shelter. A young Syrian woman is interviewed on the Norwegian evening news. Earlier this year other members of her family had fled to Germany. She stayed in Syria, waiting to hear from them before setting out herself. When she finally managed to get a call through to her family, they recounted the humiliating agonies they had endured on their journey through Turkey and advised her to find another route. She decided to take the new migration route to Europe, the safer and less expensive Arctic route, as far as possible from the horrors of war. She doesn't go into the details of her long journey, other than to say that she has been hungry for a couple of years, often dizzy from hunger. As she is interviewed in the polar night, she stands in front of a building decorated with Christmas lights, a Bethlehem star in each of the windows, skinny pines covered in frost in the background, snow on the ground: “I don't mind that my ears are frozen and that I can see my breath. I want to be safe and have a dignified life. Get a proper education, work, and be able to feed myself.” The camera shows other Syrian families with young children, single men and women, and girls and boys, traveling alone. Volunteers from the “Refugees Welcome to Norway” (RWTN) association distribute warm clothes, nappies, prams, toys, coffee, tea, sandwiches, and traditional Christmas cakes.