| dc.description.abstract | Since the outbreak of the civil war in Somalia in the late 1980s, Somalis have taken refuge in
countries across Europe, America and Africa. This research focuses on the Somali refugees in
Africa, particularly on those living in Uganda. Like many African countries, Somalia’s survival
and heritage are strongly rooted in the family unit. However, with the civil war, several
interruptions to this family harmony have occurred over time. The research therefore argues
that the refugee phenomenon has certainly had an impact on the Somali family culture. Hence,
the aim of this research is to examine how the Somali refugees (have attempted to) preserve
their identity and family culture while away from home, while trying to adapt to the culture of
the host nation at the same time. The study examines refugees living in Kampala City, a
metropolitan setting with various cultures, cognizant of the fact that each household’s family
culture may have its own uniqueness. Nevertheless, all family culture is shaped by the general
cultural context and does not just exist in the vacuum or isolation, much as it is also true that
all culture is largely influenced by family culture as the smallest unit of any social organisation. This explains why family culture in this dissertation is discussed under the parasol of culture
in general putting into perspective the social, economic and political factors. The research also
acknowledges that Somalis who are inherently Muslim are trying to adapt to Uganda which is
predominantly Christian. It too problematizes the fact that Somalia has more than one family
culture with major distinctions between those from the north and south Somalia, much as
Uganda has over 54 family cultures and languages based on the various tribes which directly
inform culture. These variances contribute greatly in assessing how the Somalis have been able
to preserve their culture. Consequently, this study further assesses potential risks and threats to
the Somali culture and identity for as long as many Somalis continue to live as displaced
iv
peoples in Uganda. It should be noted that this research bears in mind that cultural integration
for the Somalis is inevitable as they cannot completely escape the natural force to be
assimilated in the Ugandan identity and culture as a survival mechanism. Rather, the research
is interested in the argument that total loss of culture and identity would be dangerous for the
Somalis in the long run. This argument is against the background that Somalis are naturally a
nomadic people who are unlikely to settle in one country for good. Moreover, as refugees, the
ultimate goal by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees is voluntary repatriate
back to Somalia in the long run. Basing on this factor, the research is concerned about the future
of Somali identity and culture in the event of total acculturation while in Uganda, hence the
reason for assessing culture and identity preservation. | en_US |
