Liberian Refugee Women\u27s Personal Narratives on the Effects of War on Motherhood

One major effect of displacement by war and subsequently living in a refugee camp is the disruption of the social, cultural, economic and legal institutions of communities; this affects parenting and a child\u27s development. Few research studies address the effects of war, political upheaval, and displacement on parenting, specifically the experience of motherhood and the cultural socialization process of children. Yet, most research points at the undeniable connection between social and cognitive competence and the social and physical context, with changes in these contexts influencing the competencies parents\u27 inculcate in their children. Furthermore, there is sparse literature focusing specifically on African refugees\u27 experiences prior to resettlement in the U.S. Moreover, available data and research often fails to separate African refugees by country of origin and subsumes their unique backgrounds and experiences necessitating further inquiry and understanding of this population. To address these gaps, this phenomenological study utilized the narratives of four African refugee mothers from Liberia to further our understanding of how displacement by war affects mothers\u27 beliefs about childhood, and the social and cognitive competencies they desired and inculcated in their children raised in a refugee camp. Through narrative inquiry, this study also focused on participants\u27 experiences as women and mothers during this time of displacement from their respective communities