Cultural Bereavement and Mental Distress: Examination of the Cultural Bereavement Framework through the Case of Ethiopian Refugees Living in South Korea

Abstract

In South Korea, a mono-ethnic nation, refugees and asylum seekers from culturally distant countries are exposed to cultural bereavement, cultural identity shock, and cultural inconsistency for themselves and their children. Along with biological, psychological, and social factors, this phenomenon is hypothesized as playing a major role in an increased rate of distress among refugees. This study explored the experiences of 11 Ethiopian refugees living in South Korea, and their relevance to cultural bereavement while affirming and suggesting an update for the cultural bereavement framework. The analysis showed the refugees experiencing a slight continuation of dwelling in the past; a sense of guilt due to the fading of one’s culture; different types of anger; and anxiety with relation to the cultural identity of themselves and of their young children. Strong religious beliefs, a continuation of religious practice, informal gatherings within the Ethiopian diaspora, and organized community activities provided an antidote for cultural bereavement. The implication of the result hopes to assist and direct practitioners to identify complex manifestations of mental distress that often get wrongfully labeled as to their causation as well as methods and sources of diagnosis. Any update on the cultural bereavement framework also needs to consult the setting and peculiar circumstances of the displaced people in question.