The Impact of Cross-Cultural and Cross-Linguistic Differences on Refugees Integration: A Study of Mahama Camp in Rwanda
Keywords:
refugee, culture, cultural diversity, cultural integration, intercultural communication
Abstract
This study investigates and provided solutions to cultural and linguistic challenges in Mahama Camp where refugees and camp staff are from various cultural backgrounds. The specific objectives that guided the study are: to discover the causes and effects of cultural and communication challenges in Mahama Refugee Camp; and to investigate potential strategies and interventions to address these challenges. The theories that underpin this study are Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT), Cultural Dimensions Theory (CDT) and Sociocultural Theory (SCT).To achieve above-mentioned objectives, questionnaires and interviews were dispatched to refugees residing in Mahama Camp, camp staff, non-governmental organisations and the hosting community members. The data collected were coded in SPSS software, analysed and presented them using tables and figures. The findings revealed that refugees in Mahama Refugee Camp face cultural and communication challenges including cultural diversities (82.4%), language differences (85.3%), overcrowding and lack of privacy (66.7%), discrimination and racism (21.6%), and ethnocentrism (31.4%).The findings also showed that effects of multicultural challenges to refugees include culture shock (67.6%), increased stress and anxiety (88.2%), sense of isolation and depression (75.5%), loss of identity (36.3%), and feeling of displacement (29.4%). The study recommends all the actors involved, including the government of Rwanda, non-government organisations, and refugees, to provide psychological preparedness training, organize regular community dialogues, provide intercultural integration trainings, cultural immersion workshops and festivals, and organize mass sports activities in order to overcome multicultural challenges in the camp.
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References
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Turner, S. (2015). The impact of displacement on refugee children. Journal of Refugee Studies, 29(2), 139–148.
Singer, M. R. (1987). Intercultural Communication: A perceptual approach. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: prentice-Hall.
Smith, J., Johnson, K. & Martinez, A. (2018). Meeting the multicultural challenges in refugee camps: Lessons from the field. Journal of Refugee Studies, 34(1), 120–135.https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fez062
Stathi, S. & Roscini, C. (2016). Identity and Acculturation Processes in Multicultural Societies. Peace Psychology Book Series. https://shorturl.at/Dd08p
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Vygotsky, L. S. (1979). Consciousness as a Problem in the Psychology of Behaviour. Soviet Psychology, 17(4), 3–35.
Whaley, B. B. & Samter, W. (Eds.), Explaining communication: Contemporary theories and exemplars Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers. (pp. 293–310).
Allwood, J. (1985). Intercultural Communication. Papers in Anthropological Linguistics. University of Göteborg, Dept of Linguistics.
Bader D. (2015). Problems Encountered in Translating Cultural Expressions from Arabic into English. International Journal of English Linguistics, 3(5), 3–35.
Berry, J. W. (1992). Psychology of acculturation: Understanding individuals moving between two cultures. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Berry, J. W. (2011). Integration and Multiculturalism: Ways towards Social Solidarity. Papers on Social Representations, 20(1), 1–11.
Berry, J. W. (2011). Intercultural Relations in Plural Societies. In D. Matsumoto (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Culture and Psychology (pp. 473–494). Oxford University Press.
Bram, J. J. (2016). Digging Aid: The Camp as an Option in East and the Horn of Africa. Journal of Refugee Studies, 29(2), 139–148.
Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3 (2), 77–101.
Brislin, R.W., Landis, D., & Brandit, M. E. (1983). Conceptualisations of intercultural behaviour and training. In D. Landis & Brislin, R. W. (Eds.), Handbook of intercultural training: Issues in theory and design(Vol. 1). New York: Pergamon.
Chen, G. & Starosta, W. J. (2005). Foundations of Intercultural Communication. Needham Height, Mass.
Clara, L. (2005). Refugee Politics: Self-Organized Government and Protests in the Agamé Refugee Camp (2005–13). Journal of Refugee Studies, 29(2),187–207.
Davis, J. & Gollardo, A. (2016). Exploring the Effects of Technology on Education. Educational Technology Publications.
Fernández, G. (2020). Translating Culture: Problems, Strategies and Practical Realities. Accessed on October 17, 2024. https://shorturl.at/jtwyD
Fouad, N. (2019). Mental Health Issues Among Refugees in the Context of War and Displacement. The Lancet, 393(10,182).
Furnham, A. & Bochner, S. (1982). Social difficulty in a foreign culture: An empirical analysis of culture shock. In S. Bochner (Ed.), Culture in cross-cultural interaction (pp. 161–198). New York: Pergamon.
Furnham, A. & Bochner, S. (1986). Culture Shock: Psychological Reactions to Unfamiliar Environments. London: Methuen.
Gainor, K. A. & Forrest, L. (1991). African American women’s self-concept. Career Development Journal, March, 61–72.
Garcia, M. & Nguyen, L. (2017). Multiculturalism and the Integration of Refugee Camp Communities. International Journal of Migration and Integration.
Geertz, C. (1973). The Interpretation of Culture. New York: Basic Books.
Giles, H. (1984). The dynamics of speech accommodation.Paris: Mouton.
Gudykunst, W. B. (2003). Intercultural communication: Introduction. In Gudykunst, W. B. (Ed).Cross-cultural and intercultural communication. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage, pp. 163–166.
Hall, B. (1992). Theories of culture and communication. Communication theory, 1, 50–70.
Hammer, M. R., Gudyskunst, W. B. & Wiseman, R. L. (1978). Dimensions of intercultural effectiveness: An exploratory study. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 2, 382–392.
Hofstede, G. (1984). Culture’s consequences. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Hofstede, G. (1998). Masculinity and Femininity: The Taboo Dimension of National Cultures. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J. (2004). Cultures and organisations: Software of the mind (2nd Ed.). Boston: McGrawHill.
Homi, K. B. (1994). The Location of Culture. Routledge, 11 New Fetter Lane, London.
Jae-Pil & Lyras (2013). “Sport for refugee youth in a new society: The role of acculturation in sport for development and peace programming.”South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation, 2013, 35(2): 121–140.
Johnson, R., Park, S. & Lee, H. (2015). Promoting Cultural Understanding and Tolerance in Refugee Camps: Lessons Learned. International Journal of Human Rights and Social Justice, 5(2), 10–25.
Jordanna, B. (2018). Unsettled: Refugee Camps and the Making of Multicultural Britain.
Kim, S., Ahmed, M. & Chen, R. (2019). Cultural Identity Formation among Refugee Youth: Challenges and Resilience. Refugee Survey Quarterly.
Kim, Y. Y. (2001). Becoming Intercultural: An Integrative Theory of Communication and Cross-Cultural Adaptation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Kim, Y. Y. (2005). Adopting to a New Culture: An Integrative Communication Theory. In W. B. Gudykunst (Ed.), theorising about intercultural communication (pp. 375–400). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Kiselev, P., Pfaltz, M., Haas, F., Kapper, M., Sijbrandij, M., De Graaff, M.A., Hansen, P., & Morina, N. (2020). Structural and sociocultural barriers to accessing mental health care among Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland. European Journal of Psychotraumatology,11(1), 16–18. DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2020.1717825.
Kohls, L. R. (1984). Survival kit for overseas living. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.
Lopez, C., Smith, H. & Patel, R. (2016). Language Barriers and Communication in Refugee Camps: Rethinking Strategies. Journal of Refugee Studies.
Lunenburg, F. C.; & Irbyn B. J. (2008). Writing a successful thesis or dissertation: Tips and Strategies for Students in the social and behavioural sciences. Corwins Press.
Mackenzie, S. (2016). Multiculturalism in Refugee Camps: Opportunities and Obstacles. Journal of Refugee Studies, 41(2).
Martin, J. N. & Nakayama, T. K. (2010). Intercultural Communication in Contexts. 5th Ed. McGrawHill Companies, New York.
Maxfield, M. & Babbie, E. (2009). Basics of Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology (2nd Ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Muli, C. E. (2018). Challenges of Identity and Belonging for Refugee Youth in South Africa.African Human Mobility Review, 4(1).
Nzoge, E. F. (2023). A Handbook for Public Administration Thesis, Dissertation, Long Essay and Internship Report Writing. Shiloh Printers, Buea – Cameroon.
Obodoruku, B. (2017). Multiculturalism of Tanzanian refugees in the information society and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Paper presented at: IFLA WLIC 2017 – Wroclaw, Poland – Libraries. Solidarity. Society. In Session S20 – Satellite Meeting: Library Services for Multicultural Populations Sections. Paper presented at IFLA Conference 16–17 August 2017, Berlin, Germany. IFLA Conference Proceedings. Retrieved on 9/9/2024 from http://library.ifla.org/cgi/latest_tool.
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods. Thousand Oaks. Cal.: Sage Publications, 4.
Philipsen, G. (1992). Speaking Culturally: Explorations in Social Communication. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Quintanilla, L., & De López, K. J. (2013). The niche of envy: Conceptualisation, coping strategies, and the ontogenesis of envy in cultural psychology. Culture & Psychology, 19(1), 76–94. https://shorturl.at/OPX4v
Rosenau, J. N. (2004). Emergent spaces, new places, and old faces: Proliferating identities in a globalising world. New York: I. B. Tauris.
Shema, M. D. (2019). Towards a Positive Impact Through Sport for Development: A Case Study of the Mahama Refugee Camp, Rwanda. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.17924.96648.
Turner, S. (2015). The impact of displacement on refugee children. Journal of Refugee Studies, 29(2), 139–148.
Singer, M. R. (1987). Intercultural Communication: A perceptual approach. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: prentice-Hall.
Smith, J., Johnson, K. & Martinez, A. (2018). Meeting the multicultural challenges in refugee camps: Lessons from the field. Journal of Refugee Studies, 34(1), 120–135.https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fez062
Stathi, S. & Roscini, C. (2016). Identity and Acculturation Processes in Multicultural Societies. Peace Psychology Book Series. https://shorturl.at/Dd08p
Thomas, R. R. (1985). Beyond Race and Gender. New York: American Management Association.
Thurmond, A. V. (2001). The point of triangulation. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 33(3), 253–258.
Turner, S. (2015). What is a refugee camp? Explorations of the limits and effects of the camp. Journal of Refugee Studies, 29(2), 139–148.
UNHCR, 2023. UNHCR-Rwanda Operational Update. Report.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1979). Consciousness as a Problem in the Psychology of Behaviour. Soviet Psychology, 17(4), 3–35.
Whaley, B. B. & Samter, W. (Eds.), Explaining communication: Contemporary theories and exemplars Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers. (pp. 293–310).
Published
2025-03-03
How to Cite
Niyonsaba, A. (2025). The Impact of Cross-Cultural and Cross-Linguistic Differences on Refugees Integration: A Study of Mahama Camp in Rwanda. GPH-International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, 8(02), 85-104. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14962752
Section
Articles
Copyright (c) 2025 Anastase Niyonsaba
The authors and co-authors warrant that the article is their original work, does not infringe any copyright, and has not been published elsewhere. By submitting the article to GPH-International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, the authors agree that the journal has the right to retract or remove the article in case of proven ethical misconduct.
Firozpur Jhirka, Haryana, India
