“A good, successful life”: processing biographical breaks in group work with refugees

ABSTRACT

This article explores social group work with Aramaic Syrian refugees who fled to Germany during and after the migration wave of 2015. Held in an intercultural center that is sponsored by the Diakonie, the welfare organization of the Protestant church, the group supports older adults as they process biographical breaks associated with disaster, war, and migration. The existential nature of the group’s purpose is theoretically framed by Pierre Bourdieu’s habit theory and Jonathan Lear’s concept of “a good, successful life.” In contrast to the goal of integration, which reflects the perspective of the host society, group work allows for cultural negotiation among newcomers, their families, and host populations.

KEYWORDS:

• Social work with groups
• migrants
• immigrants
• refugees
• biographical break
• Pierre Bourdieu
• habit theory
• integration

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.