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14 - From Refugees to Immigrants

The Role of Psychology in the Struggle for Human Rights

from Part III - Contemporary Issues in Psychology and Human Rights

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 October 2020

By
Brigitte Khoury  and
Julie Hakim-Larson
Edited by
Neal S. Rubin  and
Roseanne L. Flores
Neal S. Rubin
Affiliation:
Adler University
Roseanne L. Flores
Affiliation:
Hunter College, City University of New York
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Summary

We can take people out of wars, but we cannot take wars out of people. When individuals are the victims of political traumas and human rights violations, they not only endure difficult journeys to get to safety, but they are also often received with hostility in the host countries.

As per Ignacio Martin-Baro, the role of a psychologist is to enhance the human condition. We base this chapter on idea and describe a model for psychologists’ roles in the resettlement of refugees, where the individual is supported in moving from refugee status to immigrant status. Psychologists have various roles in different phases, from providing basic information and guidance about resources in the first phase of preparation to empowering, motivating, and advocating for refugees in the second phase of transition, followed by assessing refugees’ needs and being part of community interventions in the third arrival phase and ending with clinical care for those with adjustment problems in the settlement phase.

Finally, the chapter ends with a discussion about evidence-based practice, a review of the intersection between social justice and psychologists’ work, and a brief history of how the American Psychological Association has embodied that in recent years.

Keywords

refugeeshuman rightsadvocacypsychologysocial justicepolitical traumamental health
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Psychology and Human Rights , pp. 212 - 226
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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