'I'M NOT HAPPY, BUT I'M OK': How asylum seekers manage talk about difficulties in their host country

Simon Goodman; Shani Burke; Helen Liebling; D. Zasada

doi:10.1080/17405904.2013.836114

'I'M NOT HAPPY, BUT I'M OK': How asylum seekers manage talk about difficulties in their host country

Simon Goodman
, Shani Burke
, Helen Liebling
, D. Zasada

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

26 Citations (Scopus)

278 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This paper addresses the ways in which asylum seekers in the UK manage making complaints about their host country. The authors demonstrate that asylum seekers have fled dangerous situations in their countries of origin and then can face difficulties and hostility in the UK. A discursive psychological approach is used to assess the ways in which asylum seekers made complaints regarding their treatment. Interviews were conducted in a refugee centre in the Midlands with nine asylum seekers and were transcribed for a discourse analysis to be conducted. Analysis of the data showed that participants criticised the asylum system for being unfair. They also made claims about not being happy in the UK, but did so in ways that downgraded the problem so as to manage the possible dilemma of appearing ungrateful and undermining their reasons for claiming asylum. The problems associated with these strategies are discussed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	19-34
Journal	Critical Discourse Studies
Volume	11
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/17405904.2013.836114
Publication status	Published - 2014

Bibliographical note

This is an electronic version of an article published in Critical Discourse Studies, 11 (1), pp. 19-34. Critical Discourse Studies is available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17405904.2013.836114

Funder

Richard Benjamin Trust

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Keywords

asylum seekers
refugees
complaints
ideological dilemmas
discursive psychology
discourse analysis

Access to Document

10.1080/17405904.2013.836114

How asylum seekers manage talk

Cite this

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title = "'I'M NOT HAPPY, BUT I'M OK': How asylum seekers manage talk about difficulties in their host country",

abstract = "This paper addresses the ways in which asylum seekers in the UK manage making complaints about their host country. The authors demonstrate that asylum seekers have fled dangerous situations in their countries of origin and then can face difficulties and hostility in the UK. A discursive psychological approach is used to assess the ways in which asylum seekers made complaints regarding their treatment. Interviews were conducted in a refugee centre in the Midlands with nine asylum seekers and were transcribed for a discourse analysis to be conducted. Analysis of the data showed that participants criticised the asylum system for being unfair. They also made claims about not being happy in the UK, but did so in ways that downgraded the problem so as to manage the possible dilemma of appearing ungrateful and undermining their reasons for claiming asylum. The problems associated with these strategies are discussed. ",

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AU - Burke, Shani

AU - Liebling, Helen

AU - Zasada, D.

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AB - This paper addresses the ways in which asylum seekers in the UK manage making complaints about their host country. The authors demonstrate that asylum seekers have fled dangerous situations in their countries of origin and then can face difficulties and hostility in the UK. A discursive psychological approach is used to assess the ways in which asylum seekers made complaints regarding their treatment. Interviews were conducted in a refugee centre in the Midlands with nine asylum seekers and were transcribed for a discourse analysis to be conducted. Analysis of the data showed that participants criticised the asylum system for being unfair. They also made claims about not being happy in the UK, but did so in ways that downgraded the problem so as to manage the possible dilemma of appearing ungrateful and undermining their reasons for claiming asylum. The problems associated with these strategies are discussed.

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KW - refugees

KW - complaints

KW - ideological dilemmas

KW - discursive psychology

KW - discourse analysis

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'I'M NOT HAPPY, BUT I'M OK': How asylum seekers manage talk about difficulties in their host country

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funder

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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Cite this