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Socio-Structural Barriers, Problem Drinking Behaviors, and Intimate Partner Violence within a Bhutanese-Nepali Refugee Community: A Qualitative Examination Using a General Strain Theory Framework

Carter, James R
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1588860785516622

Abstract Details

2020, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, Sociology.
Beginning in 2008, thousands of Bhutanese-Nepali refugees who had been forcefully displaced from their homes were re-settled in northeast Ohio. Service providers that work within this community noted significant levels of problematic alcohol consumption among Bhutanese-Nepali refugees. This alcohol misuse was noted to be associated with intimate partner violence and major health problems among refugees. The goal of this dissertation was twofold; to examine the relationships between social barriers and the sources of strain that refugees deal with in their daily lives, and to explore the link between these barriers and adverse behavioral outcomes such as problem drinking and violence. Agnew’s (1992) General Strain Theory (GST) is used to explain the relationship between refugee barriers and deviant behavioral outcomes. This research is based on an analysis of 66 qualitative interviews collected from April to July 2017 with 100 Bhutanese-Nepali refugees from a single community. Findings show that major sources of strain for Bhutanese-Nepali refugees include language acquisition, employment problems, and acculturation stress. These sources of strain contribute to problem drinking behaviors due to a lack of coping resources among Bhutanese-Nepali refugees that would support non-deviant coping. The use of alcohol to cope may then contribute to criminal behavioral outcomes such as intimate partner violence. These findings imply that interventions aimed at reducing problematic alcohol use within this community must also be aimed at reducing the underlying sources of refugee strains that can lead to the misuse of alcohol and the negative consequences thereof.
Robert Peralta, PhD (Committee Chair)
Juan Xi, PhD (Committee Member)
Stacey Nofziger, PhD (Committee Member)
Richard Adams, PhD (Committee Member)
Suzette Speight, PhD (Committee Member)
Marnie Watson, PhD (Committee Member)
189 p.
Criminology; Sociology
Refugees; Alcohol; General Strain Theory; Intimate Partner Violence

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Carter, J. R. (2020). Socio-Structural Barriers, Problem Drinking Behaviors, and Intimate Partner Violence within a Bhutanese-Nepali Refugee Community: A Qualitative Examination Using a General Strain Theory Framework [Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1588860785516622

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Carter, James. Socio-Structural Barriers, Problem Drinking Behaviors, and Intimate Partner Violence within a Bhutanese-Nepali Refugee Community: A Qualitative Examination Using a General Strain Theory Framework. 2020. University of Akron, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1588860785516622.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Carter, James. "Socio-Structural Barriers, Problem Drinking Behaviors, and Intimate Partner Violence within a Bhutanese-Nepali Refugee Community: A Qualitative Examination Using a General Strain Theory Framework." Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1588860785516622

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.