“We Do the Social”

The ethnographic study was conducted in the unplanned settlement of Adjahui, which is located in Port Bouët municipality of the Abidjan metropolis, Côte d’Ivoire, where, after a short period of self-building activities, rental housing was constructed on a massive scale. We asked about the motivations behind these investments into the lowest price segment of rentals in Abidjan and their property management. Findings from interviews with 12 estate agents revealed that small-scale private investors from the middle class and West African migrant background speculated with low-cost housing under extra-legal conditions to accumulate or maintain their wealth. These entrepreneurial landlords delegated construction of courtyard houses and property management to local non-accredited estate agencies. While the deals between investors and estate agents were driven by profit, the occupational history of the estate agents showed how they randomly moved into this business. Their work was also socially motivated, as they expressed responsibility for their customers, who could not afford other rental housing. The paper will discuss how the investments reduced the quantitative deficit in low-cost rental housing.

Acculturation and use of traditional medicine among African migrant women in Sydney: a mixed method study

Background More than 80% of the African population depend on traditional medicine as a primary healthcare. Although the African migrant community is increasing in Australia, there is no research documenting if and how African migrant communities have maintained or changed their use of traditional health practices after migration. This study aims to answer the following research questions: does acculturation influence the use of traditional medicine? and how are cultural health practices or beliefs manifested among African migrant women in Australia? Method A mixed methods design which involved a cross-sectional survey (n = 319) and individual interviews (n = 15) was conducted. Survey data were analysed using SPSS (version 23) and logistic regression model was used to test associations. Qualitative data were analysed thematically using NVivo 11 software to identify themes and conceptual categories in the participants’ responses. The study was informed by acculturation theory. Result Both the survey and the interview data indicated that cultural health practices were retained as an important form of healthcare for African migrant women in Sydney. The findings indicated that African migrants continued to use traditional medicines as part of their cultural identity and to build cohesive ethnic community to share traditional values and cultural practices. Women who relatively stayed for shorter period of time in Australia and migrated at a later age were more likely to use TM. Conclusion Acculturation proxy measures increased the likelihood of TM use suggesting African migrant women retain their cultural health practices in Australia and use of TM was manifested as part of their cultural identity. The findings have implications to improve the provision of culturally sensitive and responsive health services when caring for African migrant women.

The Reaffirmation of Self? Narrative Inquiry for Researching Violence Against Women and Stigma

Stigma presents specific ethical and epistemological problems for qualitative researchers of violence against women. Narrative research methods promise to enable ethical research on violence while still offering deep insight into stigmatized topics. This article describes narrative methods used in six focus group discussions and four in-depth interviews with victim-survivors of violence against women, all African migrant women living in Ireland. The article connects narrative and stigma in research with the social lives of participants. It concludes with specific recommendations for creative uses of narrative inquiry to explore stigmatized themes, noting that stigma can never be entirely removed from the research encounter.

Restrictive Reciprocal Obligations: Perceptions of Parental Role in Career Choices of Sub-Saharan African Migrant Youths

This study employed interpretivist, grounded theory method and utilized semi-structured interviews to explore how 31 African migrant high school and university students from eight sub-Saharan African representative countries and currently residing in Townsville, Australia, perceived the roles of their parents in their career development. The study findings revealed that the support (financial, social and emotional) and encouragement (sacrificial love, role modeling and guidance) received from parents underpinned the youths’ perceptions of their parents as influential in their career trajectories. Though participants acknowledged their indebtedness to parents and the system that nurtured them, they faced a dilemma conforming to parental preference or personal conviction, which presented “a fork in the career decision-making road.” Study findings indicate that participants’ reactions and strategies for negotiating parental approval differ based on entry status and gender. Most participants, particularly those with professional entry status, conformed to their parents’ career choice for fear of failure, while a few who followed their personal interests negotiated parental approval through dialogue and educating parents. Male participants with humanitarian entry status opposed their parents’ career preferences and followed their own personal interests. Taken together, all participants had strong desire to obtain parental approval and whether sought early or later, the main focus for all participants was prioritizing family needs and obligations. The practical implications of these findings for all stakeholders are discussed.

Large multicystic spinal lesion in a young African migrant: a problem of differential diagnosis

We describe a rare case of large, fully cystic spinal schwannoma in a young adult from The Gambia. The initial clinical suspicion was spinal cystic echinococcosis. He came to our attention reporting progressive walking impairment and neurological symptoms in the lower limbs. An expansive lesion extending from L2 to S1 was shown by imaging (ie, CT scan and MRI). Differential diagnoses included aneurysmal bone cyst and spinal tuberculosis and abscess; the initial suggested diagnosis of spinal cystic echinococcosis was discarded based on contrast enhancement results. The final diagnosis of cystic schwannoma was obtained by histopathology of the excised mass. Cystic spinal lesions are rare and their differential diagnosis is challenging. Awareness of autochthonous and tropical infectious diseases is important, especially in countries experiencing consistent migration flow; however, it must be kept in mind that migrants may also present with ‘non-tropical’ pathologies.

African migrant women in the aged care sector: Conceptualising experiences of racism, micro-aggressions and Otherness

Existing commentary rarely systematically acknowledges racism in the Australian aged care field. This article begins to address this gap through a detailed focus on the experiences of 30 African migrant women workers, one of the fastest growing groups employed in aged care across Australia. Drawing on data generated through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, we argue that racist micro-aggressions, specifically micro-insults and micro-assaults, were a commonplace experience for this group of workers. Micro-insults and micro-assaults were perpetrated interpersonally, and also drew upon and reinforced colonial discourses about backwardness, inferiority and Otherness. We conclude that for these carers, micro-aggressions have a two-fold effect: they express everyday racism in interaction, and they position African migrant carers as unwelcome and unable to care for and care about clients.

Khat use and perceived health problems among African migrants in Australia: an exploratory study

Background: The chronic use of khat, a plant with psychostimulant properties, has been associated with physical and mental health problems. Previous research found that non-khat users were more likely than khat users to perceive its use to be associated with poor health. Aims: We aimed to identify differences in the perception of specific khat-associated health problems between khat users and non-users. Methods: In 2012, 133 adults (≥ 18 years) from African migrant communities in 4 state capital cities in Australia completed questionnaires to ascertain their perception of whether specific health problems were associated with khat use. Multivariable log-linked Poisson regression was used to compare the perceptions of the 2 groups and identify differences, adjusting for sociodemographic factors, tobacco use and years living in Australia. Results: Overall, 58 (44%) and 75 (56%) participants reported current khat use and no use respectively. Adjusted log-linked Poisson regression showed that people who use khat were less likely than non-users to perceive certain health and related problems were associated with khat use, including, poor health in general [prevalence risk ratio (PRR) = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.75, 1.00]; laziness (PRR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.75, 0.99); stomach and throat problems (PRR = 0.83; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.96); and teeth, gum and mouth problems (PRR = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.67, 0.99). Conclusions: Khat users are less likely to perceive use being associated with health problems than non-users. Providing information on the health problems associated with khat use may be an important component of health promotion strategies and interventions aimed at minimising khat-related harm.