Abstract
This study identifies rational and irrational beliefs and coping mechanisms that were expressed spontaneously by a sample of Palestinian refugees (n = 35) during conditions of asylum and displacement after the wars of 1948 and 1967. The participants ranged in age from 17 to 33 years when they sought refuge in Jordan and lived in camps. The coding of the interviews into separate sentences and paragraphs showed that 93.8% of the participants expressed irrational beliefs while 51.3% expressed rational beliefs. In addition, 78.2% of the participants used and employed coping skills focused on emotions, while 49.8% used coping skills focused on solutions. The most common irrational beliefs were generalizations about others (85.5%) and exaggeration (63.7%). This study provides the first information about the rational and irrational beliefs of a sample of Palestinian refugees in Jordan in addition to the coping strategies they employed to overcome the conditions of asylum, which can be used in treating similar cases. This study is one of the first studies worldwide to explore the extent of rational and irrational beliefs among a sample of Palestinian refugees in Jordanian camps.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Vectors of Society and Culture
KEYWORDS
IRRATIONAL, BELIEFS, COPING, REFUGEES
