Belonging beyond Borders: stories told through Creative Expression in immigration context
Kesela, Terhi; Sivén, Annika (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202503134220
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202503134220
Tiivistelmä
This master thesis research explores how participation in the arts-based practices can support and create understanding in participants' sense of belonging in immigration contexts. This research also aims to develop a methodological understanding and knowledge for professionals in social and health fields working with people with recent immigration background of the creation and facilitation of creative environments that allow participants to authentically and safely share their stories and experiences. Our research question is: How participating in arts-based storytelling practices can help understand and support the development of a sense of belonging among individuals with recent immigration backgrounds in Finland?
The Belonging Beyond Borders workshops were implemented in the spring of 2024 and included three arts-based workshops, for the participants of Kanssakulkijat community. Workshops consisted of diverse chosen arts-based storytelling practices to allow participants to express themselves freely and explore their creativity and sense of belonging by telling and sharing their stories in a group context.
The conceptual framework of this research consists of concepts of ethnic identity, sense of belonging and storytelling. This research is an arts-based and narrative research and data was collected with observation, both written and verbal reflection and feedback and artwork. Data analysis was approached with a hermeneutic-phenomenological method. Considerations of ethics were of high importance in this research.
The findings explicate the most significant aspects that surfaced from the data analysis answering the research question. These findings illustrate how engaging in arts-based storytelling practices has the ability to overcome linguistic barriers, create a safe place for authentic self-expression and presentation, the importance of conscious facilitation and the participants's agency as the creators of belonging as individuals but also as a collaborative, transformative community.
The Belonging Beyond Borders workshops were implemented in the spring of 2024 and included three arts-based workshops, for the participants of Kanssakulkijat community. Workshops consisted of diverse chosen arts-based storytelling practices to allow participants to express themselves freely and explore their creativity and sense of belonging by telling and sharing their stories in a group context.
The conceptual framework of this research consists of concepts of ethnic identity, sense of belonging and storytelling. This research is an arts-based and narrative research and data was collected with observation, both written and verbal reflection and feedback and artwork. Data analysis was approached with a hermeneutic-phenomenological method. Considerations of ethics were of high importance in this research.
The findings explicate the most significant aspects that surfaced from the data analysis answering the research question. These findings illustrate how engaging in arts-based storytelling practices has the ability to overcome linguistic barriers, create a safe place for authentic self-expression and presentation, the importance of conscious facilitation and the participants's agency as the creators of belonging as individuals but also as a collaborative, transformative community.