Degree Name

MA in Intercultural Service, Leadership, and Management

First Advisor

Marla Solomon

Abstract

Refugee resettlement, the act of taking a UNHCR registered refugee from refugee camps and assisting them to permanently relocate to a cooperating developed country, has been critiqued to have several affects on the remaining refugee communities in the nine refugee camps on the Thai/Burma border. This thesis takes a closer examination specifically into Karen female refugee experiences by asking the questions; How does refugee resettlement affect the experiences of the Karen female refugees who remain on the Thai/Burma border and what are the implications of refugee resettlement on the Karen Women’s Organization (KWO) and the implementation of its programs?

The research was conducted by undertaking twelve semi-formal structured interviews with KWO administrative staff from the KWO offices in Mae Sot and Mae Sariang, Thailand. The interviews were combined with participant observation, informal discussions and relevant data and research. The data was analyzed using a qualitative thematic approach to best recognize patterns in the answers to how refugee resettlement affects the Karen female refugees and KWO. As much space as possible was also given to these women to voice their thoughts and concerns, as they feel their opinions have not previously been fully considered in durable solutions in the response to the affects of refugee resettlement.

Disciplines

Asian Studies | Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration | Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation | Social Welfare | Urban Studies and Planning | Women's Studies

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