From Hell to Heaven? Lived experiences of LGBTQ migrants in relation to health and their reflections on the future

Kostenius, Catrine; Hertting, Krister; Pelters, Britta; Lindgren, Eva-Carin

doi:10.1080/13691058.2021.1983020

Cited by 11 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Our results confirm notions of interrelatedness between health and multidimensional identity work concerning cultural, sexual, or gender identity [45], which becomes necessary when in a new society [46]. This has a bearing on participants' experiences and thoughts about the future [47].…”

Section: Theoretical Implicationssupporting

confidence: 78%

“This Group is Like a Home to Me:” understandings of health of LGBTQ refugees in a Swedish health-related integration intervention: a qualitative study

et al. 2022

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Background When large numbers of asylum seekers immigrate to a country, civil society is encouraged to contribute to their integration. A subgroup of asylum seekers comprising lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) refugees are specifically deemed vulnerable to developing health and integration problems due to the double stigma of being a sexual/gender minority and a refugee. The Swedish Federation for LGBTQ Rights (RFSL) is a civil societal organization that has established the support group “RFSL Newcomers,” a health-related integration intervention that targets such refugees. The aim of the present study is reconstructing the subjective understanding of health of LGBTQ refugees. Methods Eleven participants in Newcomers and eight organizers were interviewed about LGBTQ refugees’ experiences of migrating and participating in RFSL Newcomers. Qualitative content analysis was used to reconstruct subjective understandings of health that were constructed in these narratives. As the data did not originally concentrate on exploring understandings of health, a broad theoretical approach was used as a heuristic for the analysis, which focused on the common everyday approach of conceptualizing health as wellbeing. Results The narratives revealed three interconnected, interdependent categories of understanding health in which tensions occur between wellbeing and ill-being: belonging versus alienation, security and safety versus insecurity, and recognition versus denial. The categories contribute to an overarching theme of health as framed freedom – i.e., freedom framed by conditions of society. Conclusions For our participants, belonging, recognition, and security/safety are conceptual elements of understanding health, not its social determinants. Thus, these understandings emphasize relational and existential meanings of health (theoretical implication). As for practical implications, the understandings of health were connected to being either inside or outside the Newcomers group and a new society, depending on whether LGBTQ refugees comply with social requirements. As a significant actor that is representative of the cultural majority and a facilitator of LGBTQ refugees’ resettlement process, RFSL provides LGBTQ refugees with crucial orientations for becoming a “good migrant” and a “good LGBTQ person,” yet a “bad bio-citizen.” Generally, organizers of interventions may enhance the effectiveness of their interventions when relational, existential, and biomedical understandings of health are all incorporated.

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Section: Theoretical Implicationssupporting

confidence: 78%

“This Group is Like a Home to Me:” understandings of health of LGBTQ refugees in a Swedish health-related integration intervention: a qualitative study

et al. 2022

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“…The theme contains three categories: intersectional challenges encountered as an LGBTQ+ forced migrant (ES 97%; Akin, 2017; Alessi, 2016; Alessi et al, 2018, 2020; Alessi, Greenfield, et al, 2021; Cerezo et al, 2014; Dhoest, 2019, 2020; Golembe et al, 2020; Held, 2022; Kahn, 2015a, 2015b; Kahn & Alessi, 2018; Karimi, 2020a, 2020b, 2021; Kostenius et al, 2021; Lee & Brotman, 2011; Llewellyn, 2021; Logie et al, 2016; Mulé, 2021; Murray, 2014a, 2014b; Novitskaya, 2021; Oren & Gorshkov, 2021; Rosati et al, 2021; Wimark, 2019, 2021), psychological reactions and manifestations (ES 86%; Akin, 2017; Alessi, 2016; Alessi et al, 2018, 2020; Cerezo et al, 2014; Golembe et al, 2020; Held, 2022; Kahn, 2015a, 2015b; Kahn et al, 2018; Kahn & Alessi, 2018; Karimi, 2020a, 2021; Kostenius et al, 2021; Lee & Brotman, 2011; Llewellyn, 2021; Logie et al, 2016; Mulé, 2021; Murray, 2014a, 2014b; Oren & Gorshkov, 2021; Rosati et al, 2021; Wimark, 2019, 2021), and practical issues related to resettlement and living conditions (ES 66%; Akin, 2017; Alessi, 2016; Alessi et al, 2018, 2020; Cerezo et al, 2014; Golembe et al, 202...…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The theme contains three categories: resilience and strengthening resources (ES 90%) (Alessi, 2016; Alessi et al, 2018, 2020; Alessi, Greenfield, et al, 2021; Cerezo et al, 2014; Dhoest, 2019, 2020; Golembe et al, 2020; Held, 2022; Kahn, 2015a, 2015b; Kahn et al, 2018; Karimi, 2020a, 2020b, 2021; Kostenius et al, 2021; Lee & Brotman, 2011; Logie et al, 2016; Mulé, 2021; Murray, 2014a, 2014b; Novitskaya, 2021; Oren & Gorshkov, 2021; Rosati et al, 2021; Wimark, 2019, 2021), identity formation (ES 62%; Akin, 2017; Alessi, Greenfield, et al, 2021; Cerezo et al, 2014; Dhoest, 2020; Golembe et al, 2020; Held, 2022; Kahn, 2015a, 2015b; Karimi, 2020a, 2020b, 2021; Lee & Brotman, 2011; Llewellyn, 2021; Logie et al, 2016; Murray, 2014a; Oren & Gorshkov, 2021; Rosati et al, 2021; Wimark, 2019), and establishing and maintaining social relationships (ES 45%; Dhoest, 2019, 2020; Held, 2022; Kahn, 2015a; Karimi, 2020a, 2020b, 2021; Mulé, 2021; Murray, 2014a, 2014b; Oren & Gorshkov, 2021; Wimark, 2019, 2021).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The theme contains three categories: intersectional challenges encountered as an LGBTQ+ forced migrant (ES 97%; Akin, 2017 ; Alessi, 2016 ; Alessi et al, 2018 , 2020 ; Alessi, Greenfield, et al, 2021 ; Cerezo et al, 2014 ; Dhoest, 2019 , 2020 ; Golembe et al, 2020 ; Held, 2022 ; Kahn, 2015a , 2015b ; Kahn & Alessi, 2018 ; Karimi, 2020a , 2020b , 2021 ; Kostenius et al, 2021 ; Lee & Brotman, 2011 ; Llewellyn, 2021 ; Logie et al, 2016 ; Mulé, 2021 ; Murray, 2014a , 2014b ; Novitskaya, 2021 ; Oren & Gorshkov, 2021 ; Rosati et al, 2021 ; Wimark, 2019 , 2021 ), psychological reactions and manifestations (ES 86%; Akin, 2017 ; Alessi, 2016 ; Alessi et al, 2018 , 2020 ; Cerezo et al, 2014 ; Golembe et al, 2020 ; Held, 2022 ; Kahn, 2015a , 2015b ; Kahn et al, 2018 ; Kahn & Alessi, 2018 ; Karimi, 2020a , 2021 ; Kostenius et al, 2021 ; Lee & Brotman, 2011 ; Llewellyn, 2021 ; Logie et al, 2016 ; Mulé, 2021 ; Murray, 2014a , …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Post‐migration psychosocial experiences and challenges amongstLGBTQ+ forced migrants: A meta‐synthesis of qualitative reports

Gottvall

Brunell

Eldebo

et al. 2022

Journal of Advanced Nursing

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“…Substantial evidence has shown that spatial mobility can be driven by and has an impact on gender relations (Vidal & Huinink, 2019) and vice versa; gender-sensitive cultures can act as a pull factor or a reason to remain abroad for women and LGBTQ + migrants engaging in international mobility (e.g. Kim &Yoon, 2017;Kostenius et al, 2021). Migration and mobility are also profoundly transformative experiences.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Work and Gender in the Context of Spatial Mobility and Migration: the Case of Highly Skilled Italians Abroad

Samuk

Burchi

Kalocsányiová

2023

Int. Migration & Integration

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Young, skilled and educated Italians have been emigrating in record numbers: About 160,000 Italians moved abroad in 2018 alone. While much of recent research focused on the economic drivers of this spatial mobility, this article explores highly skilled Italians’ mobile life projects from a gender perspective. Our study was guided by the following research questions: How do mobility and migration intersect with gender relations and career success in the lives of highly skilled Italians living abroad? What role does gender play in highly skilled Italians’ decisions about moving and staying abroad? Our research, which drew on semistructured in-depth interviews conducted with 51 university graduates, was part of a larger study of the determinants and trends in the new migration of the highly skilled from Tuscany, a region in Italy. Using Strauss and Corbin’s three-stage coding process to analyze the interviews, we identified four core themes of particular concern to participants when comparing Italy with the contexts they encountered abroad: gender-sensitive culture in the workplace, strategic and dialogic mobile life projects, impact of state and workplace policies and (subjective) age vis-à-vis temporariness. Our results both confirmed the findings of previous studies and prompted new questions in need of further investigation, such as experiences of gender (in)equality and their power to transform short-term mobility into mobile life projects or permanent migration, dual-career couples’ spatial mobility, and the impact of mobility on normative beliefs about key life events.

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From Hell to Heaven? Lived experiences of LGBTQ migrants in relation to health and their reflections on the future

Cited by 11 publications

References 27 publications

“This Group is Like a Home to Me:” understandings of health of LGBTQ refugees in a Swedish health-related integration intervention: a qualitative study

“This Group is Like a Home to Me:” understandings of health of LGBTQ refugees in a Swedish health-related integration intervention: a qualitative study

Post‐migration psychosocial experiences and challenges amongstLGBTQ+ forced migrants: A meta‐synthesis of qualitative reports

Work and Gender in the Context of Spatial Mobility and Migration: the Case of Highly Skilled Italians Abroad

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