Untold Stories: A Study of Sudanese and Syrian Refugees in Estonia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the coping resources and the present and past experiences of two groups with refugee experiences in Estonia through narrative approach. Avert narratives, Struggling narratives, Instantaneous narratives, Boundary narratives, and Re-occurrence narratives identified through the interviews with 12 refugees. Differences between this two groups and individual accounts were also identified. The structure of the narratives, identity construction while in exile and coping mechanism through the narratives shaped their life stories and lives in exile. One significant outcome of this study is the lack of compatibility of the stories between two groups, through which five narratives established to elaborate the variety of their accounts.