Humiliation Experienced by Somali Refugees in Norway

Life as a refugee attempting to create a new life in an unfamiliarcountry is filled with uncertainties. Due to a lack of languageand cultural knowledge, misunderstandings occur. People in thesecircumstances are vulnerable to experiences of humiliation.The majority population's prejudices against strangers alsocontribute to newly-arrived refugees experiencing more humiliatingsituations than do others. This paper attempts to analyse experiencesof humiliation among refugees, using Somali refugees as a case.The principal research question here is why and how refugeesexperience humiliation in exile. What kinds of situations triggerfeelings of humiliation in refugees and why are these situationsexperienced as humiliating? This paper attempts to develop atheory of humiliating experiences among exiles, based on interviewswith 27 Somalis and 20 Norwegians, as well as participatoryobservations and meetings with a focus group. Refugees in asociety vastly different from that of their home country mightbe vulnerable to intimidation, and might also be met in hurtfulways. Humiliation occurring in the home country might continuein the new country, and new types of humiliating situationsmight develop between individuals from the home country in thenew setting. The theory set forth here identifies typical reactionsof the refugees to certain humiliating situations, and offerssome suggestions for ways to prevent humiliating experiences.