School of Social Sciences

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11951/31

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Browsing School of Social Sciences by Author "Balyejjusa, Moses Senkosi"

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    Meanings and Understandings of Wellbeing: An Exploration of Somali Refugees’ Conceptions of Human Wellbeing
    (2015) Balyejjusa, Moses Senkosi
    Although there is a substantial body of literature on human wellbeing, there is no universally agreed-upon meaning and understanding of the concept. This article explores the meanings and understandings which Somali refugees in Kampala, Uganda attach to the concept. Drawing on 14 in-depth individual interviews and seven focus group discussions with 70 Somali refugee study participants in Kisenyi, I argue that wellbeing is mainly understood in terms of having access to objective elements that result in having a good or comfortable life. Objective elements can be seen to represent human needs with respect to Doyal and Gough’s theory of human need. These objective elements were discussed as prerequisites for having a good life. They include peace and security, health, education, employment and housing. Adequate access to these objective elements is perceived as fundamentally important in promoting and guaranteeing human wellbeing.
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    Somali Refugees’ Wellbeing: The Role of Socio-Culturally Mediated Agency
    (Africa Journals Online, 2019) Balyejjusa, Moses Senkosi
    Although there is substantial research on refugees and their wellbeing, there is limited research that examines the role of refugees‘ agency in their lives. Using Doyal and Gough‘s (1991) theory of human need, the study analyses Somali refugees‘ wellbeing by examining the satisfaction of their human needs. Drawing on data from 70 Somali refugees in Kisenyi, Kampala, the study found that Somali refugees exercised their socio-culturally mediated agency to promote their wellbeing. The socio-culturally mediated agency was demonstrated in form of an individual‘s/family‘s ability to start and maintain small and medium-scale business enterprises and develop social networks with the host community, fellow Somalis within Uganda and abroad. Individuals/families that engaged in either or both of the agency actions were able to adequately meet their human needs, thus promoting their wellbeing because adequate satisfaction of human needs leads to human wellbeing.
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    The Wellbeing of Somali Refugees in Kampala: Perceived Satisfaction of Their Human Needs
    (Africa Journals Online, 2017) Balyejjusa, Moses Senkosi
    Although there is substantial research on the psychological wellbeing of refugees in psychology, especially in acculturation research, there is very little research assessing refugees‘ objective conditions of living. This study aims to bridge this gap by assessing the perceived satisfaction of Somali refugees‘ objective elements in Kampala, Uganda. Drawing on qualitative data from 92 Somali refugee and Ugandan participants, the paper shows that the participants assessed the perceived satisfaction of Somali refugees‘ four objective wellbeing elements (peace and security, housing, education, and employment). These objective elements can be seen to represent human needs when analysed in relation to Doyal and Gough‘s (1991) theory of human need, particularly the intermediate needs. The study participants perceived most Somali refugees as having adequate satisfaction to these objective elements. In this paper, I argue that this is the case because of the non-discriminatory and accepting host environment, Somali refugees‘ financial resources and the culture of social support. These are instrumentally important in promoting Somali refugees‘ wellbeing since they guarantee adequate satisfaction of the human needs of Somali refugees.