Dear ALL!
I would like to encourage all researchers who do, or wish to do research relating to the notion of humiliation to form a group of mutual support and cooperation. Please read Katrine Fangen's project description further down. She is a postdoctoral researcher at the University in Oslo and would like to be part of our group on humiliation-related research. I would very much appreciate your contribution! Thank you!
Evelin, Paris, February 2004

Katrine Fangen presents her work as follows:
I am conducting a post-doctoral study of Somalis living in Norway.

The study is divided in two project-periods, a one-year study of Somalian concepts of health, especially mental health, and how they cope with psychological problems. The other project-period lasts for four years, and the research topic is identity and integration. This project will focus on different groups of Somalis, ranging from Somalis with higher education to unemployed Somalis, from religious Somalis to secular ones, young and old, men and women, single persons and families. The point is to find out more about different coping strategies of Somalis in Norway, and how various identity solutions and levels of integration are related to background factors such as status in Somalia, own and parents education, etc.

My empirical material consists of interviews with both Norwegians and Somalis who work with Somali clients of various types. Many of these Somali helpers work as so-called natural helpers, that is, they have no formal education but use their own life-experiences and high status in the Somali milieus as their competence for working as bridge-builders between the formal social and health services in Norway and Somali clients. They also work directly with Somalis who have problems in marriage or with parent-child relations.

In addition I interview Somalis in different positions in society, both families and single persons, both young and old. I will also participate as an observer in two focus-groups, one consists of women coming together to discuss the issue of pain, and the other is a group which is meant to educate natural helpers.

In 2005 I will do a short fieldwork in Somalia. One of the goals for the fieldwork will be to visit a women's project in Mogadishu, which is a rehabilitation project for women who have experienced rape and disabuse.

One of my concerns is how war, refugee-camps, transit and life in exile, including discrimination on the work-market and the housing-market, affect those Somalis who have suffered these experiences. One focus will be how experiences of humiliation express themselves in Somali life in exil, how Somalis verbalise these experiences, and which kind of help they wish or could think of applying for.

Katrine Fangen, Oslo, February 2004